A COMMUNITY festival’s showcase event, which was cancelled over safety fears, is back on.

Torrential rain last month led to the cancellation of the third day of Blackburn’s Mill Hill Festival, now in its second year, as organisers feared it would cause problems with electrical equipment.

After appealing to the community for help, organisers have been given a portable, solar-powered stage which will stop the same problems happening again.

However, half the bands who were booked to play cannot make the new date, and audition are now taking place for replacements.

Since the cancellation, organisers have been working to collect extra funds to resurrect the last day of the event, which would have seen eight local bands playing in New Chapel Street, which had been closed off for the culmination of the three-day celebration.

The band event is now taking place at Mill Hill Gardens on Saturday, July 25.

Four of the original bands will return and organisers are asking other local bands to step forward and audition to replace the other four.

Neighbourhood manager and resident Julie Astley, who helped organise the event, said: “People have been fantastic and some of the bands and suppliers are coming back for free, or half price.

“We would love to hear from some local bands who would like to take part and the last problem is then solved.

"The solar-powered stage was given to us by a gentleman who read the Telegraph article about our cancellation.

“He lives in Cornwall, but is originally from Blackburn and it was just what we needed.

"It is much safer in case it rains and can be moved if we need to.”

The festival began on Thursday, June 4 with a concert at Mill Hill WMC for local elderly people.

On Friday, activities moved to New Chapel Street, where 200 schoolchildren took part in an ‘It’s a Knockout’ event.

The new event takes place between 1pm and 9pm. Any interested band should cont-act Beverly Ashburner on 01254 266370.