Going for green

Organiser Andy McTaggart has announced plans for a two-day festival on the weekend of July 19/20, featuring The Green Roadshow, with a solar-powered circus, displays of wind and solar energy and a recycled fashions show.

They are just a few of the ideas Andy is working on, with the aim of making the event exciting, fun and educational, rather than worthy but dull.

And his timing could hardly have been better, with last week's announcement by Chancellor Gordon Brown of an increase in the landfill tax which councils have to pay for every tonne of rubbish buried in holes in the ground, instead of being sent for recycling.

Councils, including Arun and West Sussex, need to achieve substantial increases in the amount of refuse recycled, and both have shown interest in supporting the event, with the aim of raising awareness among the public of the need to recycle.

Littlehampton Town Council, Southern Water, The Body Shop and the Harbour Park amusement complex at Littlehampton are also considering sponsoring the festival.

He said: "There is a huge amount of interest out there. Everyone has been positive and said the festival is a good idea. It seems to be the right event for the right time, with so much emphasis on the need to boost recycling.

"As organiser, I will be contacting all the schools and colleges in this area to invite them to contribute to the festival, along with national organisations and green pressure groups who might like to take part."

Andy picked up the idea for the festival from similar events held alongside summer music festivals Glastonbury and Womad. "The festival motto is 'We have not inherited the earth from our parents, but borrowed it from our children'," he told the Gazette.

The festival is planned to take place on The Green and, depending on the scale of the event, may also use the Oyster Pond, possibly for solar-powered boats.

Other attractions could include live music played on recycled instruments, a "junk" sculpture competition and arts and crafts workshops using recycled materials.

Andy would like to hear from local businesses who would be interested in sponsoring the event with amounts of money large or small. They can contact him on 01903 732985 or 721200.

Earlier this year he achieved national and international publicity for the successful attempt at a new world record hot cross bun, sponsored by Harbour Park and baked by Pegrums of Rustington.