Sleaford Pride Fanfare Programme

Fanfare events were originally supported by Sleaford Pride, the regeneration scheme which, since 1995, has delivered many long-awaited improvements in the town. We have seen the refurbishment of the main shopping area, the regeneration of old, disused buildings in the town centre, and the opening up of new industrial land on the outskirts. Training and employment opportunities are increasing. The opening of the Hub in Autumn 2003 as a centre of excellence for Contemporary Craft Design and Making and new home for The Pearoom, formerly based in Heckington, was nearly the culmination of the project, followeed a oucple of years later by the restoration of Navigation House and the opeing of the new flats in Navigation Yard

The continuation of the momentum of Sleaford Pride was vital to the town and so Sleaford Development Group was formed in 1999 to work with people, organisations and groups in the town for the benefit of the town. Sleaford Development Group was a partnership between the local authorities, the Chamber of Commerce, organisations and businesses. The group dissolved in July 2006 and its work taken on by Sleaford Town Council.

Autumn 2007 saw the start of SleafordBID, the first Market Town Business Improvement District in the East Midlands.

The Sleaford Pride programme also supported community events within the town and the annual calendar regularly featured five major events, all of which have moved towards independence: The calendar now changes year by year.

Sleaford Events 2008 Sleaford Awards 3rd March Sleaford Art Event 5th and 6th April www.sae.sleafordevents.co.uk Market Towns Week and Sleaford Live 2nd to 11th May www.sleafordlive.co.uk Sleaford in Bloom Open Gardens 4th and 5th July Sleaford Water Weekend will not take place in 2008 www.water.sleafordevents.co.uk Sleaford Historic Car & Motorcycle Show with Craft Fair 6th September www.shcms.sleafordevents.co.uk Sleaford Arts Festival - 18th October www.sleafordartsfestival.co.uk Sleaford Christmas Market 30th November www.christmas.sleafordevents.co.uk

Vibe - Sleaford's one-day music festival ran successfully until 2003 and in 2005 was superseded by Sleaford Live, a week-long festival of music, entertainment and exhibitions, which grew out of the Market Towns Week 2004 and 2005

The Fanfare project also supported a number of other schemes including the work of the Sleaford in Bloom organisers whose efforts in the recent past have received just reward in being declared class winners in 1998, winners of a special award for conservation in 1999, for community involvement in 2002, for the Sleaford Cemetery project in 2003 and several other awards since. www.inbloom.sleafordevents.co.uk