I’m pleased to confirm that my August councillor donation has been made to support the Gorleston Cliff‑Top Festival — one of the biggest free community events on the East Coast and a highlight of our local calendar.

The festival is a free, award‑winning two‑day celebration stretching along a ¾‑mile section of Gorleston’s beautiful clifftop. Each summer it attracts tens of thousands of visitors, offering more than 40 hours of live music, a large funfair, a free children’s arena, charity and craft stalls, sports demonstrations, living‑history displays, roaming performers, and a spectacular fireworks finale.

What makes the festival truly special is that it is entirely organised and run by volunteers. An unpaid committee — supported by a large team of helpers — plans the event, sets up the site, stewards across the weekend, runs activities, and packs everything away afterwards. Some volunteers have been involved for decades, while new helpers join each year, making it a genuine community effort.

Despite being volunteer‑run, the festival is delivered to a professional standard, working closely with the council, emergency services, and the Event Safety Advisory Group to ensure a safe and well‑managed weekend for residents and visitors. It is also entirely self‑funded, costing around £55,000 each year to deliver, with support coming from sponsorships, grants, pitch fees, fundraising events, and public donations.

The festival’s origins go back to 1998, when it was created to give local charities a shared platform to fundraise — a purpose that remains central today, with more than 30 charities raising over £10,000 each year through their stalls and activities.

Having seen the scale of the event and the dedication behind it, I’m proud to support the volunteers who make it possible. Their commitment brings joy to thousands, boosts local tourism, and provides a platform for charities, performers, and community groups across Gorleston and beyond.

If you’d like to support the festival directly, you can donate via their JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/gorlestonclifftopfestival2026

Thank you to every volunteer involved — your hard work keeps this much‑loved festival thriving year after year.