BUSINESSES in Sidmouth and East Devon are being invited to back this year s Sidmouth FolkWeek by sponsoring an event or advertising in its working programme.

BUSINESSES in Sidmouth and East Devon are being invited to back this year's Sidmouth FolkWeek by sponsoring an event or advertising in its working programme.

With a �30,000 shortfall to recover to ensure the future of the festival, organisers are working hard to get support from local organisations.

This is the third year businesses have been invited to advertise in the festival programme, and 4,000 copies will be printed for the 2009 event.

Steve Thompson, vice chairman of Sidmouth FolkWeek charity board, said: "Anyone who wishes to can advertise, we even get other folk festivals advertising. It is mainly local businesses and individuals, but not exclusively."

He said since John Braithwaite consulted with groups back in November about the shortfall, there had been a concerted effort to fundraise, with meetings with organisations such as Sidmouth's rugby and cricket clubs, Hospitality Association and Sid Vale Association to seek their backing.

Sidmouth Town Council has also given an extra grant of ???? To the festival.

Businesses or individuals can sponsor events, such as ceilidhs or concerts from as little as �100 to �2,000, depending on the scale of the event and artists involved.

For �200 they can sponsor a day's issue of the festival's daily newsletter, which will include a banner advert on the front page.

Just �500 will sponsor the Young Sidmouth Programme, and other ways of sponsoring the event would be helping with individual artists fees, a donation to administration costs, loan of a photocopier or cost of hiring equipment.

Advertisers in the programme, which is sent free to all those booking season tickets, costs from �75 for a quarter page black and white advert to �250 for a full page colour ad.

There is also advertising space available in the festival newsletter and Young Sidmouth programme.

Copy date for adverts is June 22 and you can book space on (01395) 567466 or email jd@rockfordgraphics.co.uk.

Both advertisers and sponsors will be invited to the festival's opening event, have their name or logo on the front of the festival programme, on the FolkWeek website and free leaflets produced in April as well as membership of Sidmouth FolkWeek Business Supporters Club.

"We would like to increase on what we made last year," said Mr Thompson. "We are looking for every opportunity to increase our revenue because we are looking to increase the sustainability of the festival.

"Many businesses locally benefit from the festival, some through a cascade effect. The money the festival brings into town, to a great extent, stays in the town.

"We are a not for profit company. Any profit is turned back into the festival."

He said ticket sales were "on a par" with 2008 and he understood there was evidence accommodation bookings for festival week - July 31 to August 7 - "were very healthy.