Stranraer Oyster Festival is set to benefit from £16,000 of funding from EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.
It is one of thirteen events and festivals across Scotland to receive a share of £147,576 from Round 41 of EventScotland’s National Programme Fund to enhance event delivery and further develop Scotland’s diverse events portfolio.
Stranraer Oyster Festival will return for a third year in September. The festival has been a huge success for region, repositioning Stranraer as the UK’s Oyster capital and supporting regeneration in the area. This is the second time that the event has received funding through the National Events Programme, with the £16,000 being awarded to support marketing and support.
VisitScotland Regional Leadership Director Paula Ward said: “I am delighted that Stranraer Oyster Festival will receive funding from the National Events Programme. In just two years, the festival has become a firm favourite for visitors and locals like and has helped shine the spotlight on the fantastic local produce available in the region.
“The national funded events programme plays a fundamental role, not only in contributing to our diverse portfolio, but in increasing domestic tourism, and delivering real social and economic benefits to local communities across the country.”
Romano Petrucci, Chair of Stranraer Development, the community organisation behind Stranraer Oyster Festival, said: “We are looking forward to our third Stranraer Oyster Festival and will be announcing an exciting three-day programme soon. We have a line-up that spans the interests of all ages; from family friendly activities for wee ones to foodies to our Big Oyster Bash.
“Funding from EventScotland is invaluable in helping us to grow and improve our festival, to ensure that it really shows off the warm hospitality of the people and businesses of Stranraer, as well as showcasing our beautiful landscape and amazing seafood; including our famous oysters.
“But this festival is about more than sharing our oysters with the world – it’s about the story, the passion and the beauty of Stranraer and Loch Ryan. When the sun shines, on a day like today, I can honestly say, hand on heart, that the beauty of this corner of Scotland completely blows me away. Stranraer Oyster Festival was developed in order to put Stranraer on the map as a visitor destination, to show this side of Stranraer to others; and the funding support and event development advice form EventScotland and VisitScotland is helping us to do just that.”
The National Events Programme is a strategic development programme with eligible events able to bid for a maximum of three rounds of funding. The deadline for the next round of the National Programme is 7 June 2019 with events taking place from January 2020 onwards eligible to apply. Guidelines for entry are available on www.eventscotland.org.
