A PLEA has been made for volunteers to get involved in the first community-run festival of its kind in Blackburn.

Bands and organisers behind the Blackburn Festival, on Saturday, June 15 in Witton Park, hope the event will breath life into the town’s music scene and create a strong sense of ‘community pride’.

It has been seven years since a large-scale music and arts event was held and the first time local residents have taken the reins.

It is hoped the festival will become an annual event to celebrate local talent and fill the gap left after the council-run Blackburn Arts in the Park and the Blackburn Mela were stopped due to funding cuts.

Three stages of music will include everything from folk to hiphop and even a Bollywood brass band.

The free event will also bring entertainment from local and national performing arts groups, as well as hands-on crafts workshops, comedy and cinema.

Coun Damien Talbot, vice chairman of the festival committee said: “Being a part of this festival will give volunteers a huge sense of pride.

“We want to nurture the town’s talent and bring together people from the many communities.

“It should be a springboard for local acts into mainstream success.

“This is the first time the event has been run by residents so we want to get the message out there that the success of it is dependent on them getting involved behind the scenes themselves.

“We need as much help on the day as possible, whether this is by selling programmes, marshalling or litter picking.”

Mick Spencer, 47, lead singer of Blackburn band Wagon Wheels said: “Blackburn is like a ghost town at the moment so this festival is crucial to helping us reverse this. We want to see a return to atmosphere of the 1980s when people would travel from across the county to have a night out here.”

Anyone interested in volunteering can visit a stall on King William Street tomorrow from 11am until 5pm, or email event organiser Alex Martindale on alexm@blackburnfestival.co.uk