By Sarah Newstead

Last updated at 14:45, Friday, 12 August 2011

Move over Michael Eavis, a team of Wigton teens are to host the market town’s first rock music festival for young people.

Youth worker Sam Massey with Harley Young, Abbie Rear and Chloe Hickman

Members of the Youth Station are preparing to bring a day-long celebration of sound and fun to Greenacres Park.

A team of 10 teenagers have been busy planning the Something for the Summer event on Saturday, September 17.

From funding bids to booking the bands, to ensuring security is present at the festival, they have co-ordinated it all.

Young people aged between 11 and 16 are invited, and the Youth Station team are extending the welcome to teenagers from Aspatria, Silloth, Dalston, Carlisle and the small towns and villages in between.

The idea came as part of the Your Square Mile project. Wigton is one of the 16 localities nationwide chosen to pilot the Big Society Network-backed scheme.

Team member Chloe Hickman, 15, from Wigton, said: “We wanted to bring the community together.

“We put a questionnaire into the schools to see what people wanted and we came up with a music festival.”

The team has secured £100 from local factory Innovia, £100 from Wigton town council and £300 from O2’s Think Big fund.

Two young people also attended an event organisation training day in Manchester as part of the O2 scheme.

The Youth Station were this week awaiting the outcome of a £1,000 bid to the Keyfund project to help cover the cost of the music festival.

Abbie Rear, 15, of Wigton, added: “It has been hard work organising it but we are all friends and enjoy working together.”

“We’ve learned to negotiate and what we needed to organise this. I think it’s all going to go really well.”

Five local young bands are booked to play, Moky Fit will be entertaining the crowds with dance routines and local deli Monkey Tree will be providing a BBQ. There will be a chill-out area for festival goers, a rodeo bull for the more intrepid and Cumbria’s Dash team will be on hand with advice about drugs and alcohol awareness.

Youth worker Sam Massey said: “Following a positive meeting with deputy mayor Paul Pearson and numerous discussions with mayor Paul Radcliffe, we have been granted permission to use the Greenacres Park as the venue.”

“The steering group make all decisions relating to the event and have an active role in making arrangements and publicising the event.“They have worked very hard, I’m so proud of them.”

The team have issued a zero tolerance policy towards drugs and alcohol at the event to be held between 4pm and 10pm.

Tickets will cost £3.

First published at 14:09, Friday, 12 August 2011
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk