SALISBURY City Council has announced grants are were awarded to three organisations as part of the City Grants Fund Scheme.

Salisbury Literary Festival, Sarum College and the Salisbury Live Launch were awarded the funds.

The Literary Festival is a not-for-profit organisation run by a team of volunteers and offered an inclusive programme of events to engage people of all ages and levels of mobility and isolation.

The organisers of the festival used the grant to support their children’s programme and to encourage families into Salisbury and into the library with fun events to engage children in books and reading.

Mr Tom Bromley, the Festival Director said, “We were delighted to receive a grant under the City Grants Fund Scheme to support the 2018 Salisbury Literary Festival.

"The grant was used to support the children’s programme for this year’s festival. This year we had school events featuring author Emily Thomas, who appeared at St Edmunds and South Wilts.

"We also ran a series of free events for younger children at Salisbury Library, as well as a low-cost animation workshop.

"We also had award-winning children’s author Piers Torday at Salisbury Playhouse to end the day.

"We are incredibly grateful to Salisbury City Council for their support here, in helping to bring in these authors to inspire younger readers in the city”.

Sarum Academy is a Voluntary Controlled Church of England Academy founded in 2010 delivering, non-selective, personalised education to pupils aged 11 – 19 years and is a member of the Magna Learning Partnership.

The Academy is working with Wiltshire FA, Football Foundation and Wiltshire Council to help meet the expressed need of the football community in South Wiltshire to provide a 3G ATP.

The need for a 3G ATP is identified in the Wiltshire Playing Pitch Strategy 2017 and is a key objective of Wiltshire FA.

Mrs Claire Hollick, Sarum Academy’s Director of Finance and Business said, “Magna Learning Partnership is working with football groups in the Salisbury area to bid for grant funding to build a 3G pitch at Sarum Academy in Salisbury.

"Our bid enables us to obtain funding for 90% of the cost and we need to raise funds to cover the rest.

"The grant received from Salisbury City Council will help us to pay for the costs of obtaining planning permission. This will be an amazing facility for Salisbury and the surrounding area. We know that there is a need for a 3G pitch due to demand from the football community.”

After the success of the ‘One Step Behind’ live music event in Salisbury Market Square, it was agreed that it will return as the launch event to Salisbury Live 2019.

It will be a free event featuring regional and local musical acts including young people from local colleges and schools.

The grant will go towards supporting the booking of the musical acts themselves and associated lights, PA, staging, security, production and marketing costs.

Mr Colin Holton Esq. the Production Manager and Event Director said, “We are delighted to hear that we received a grant through the Salisbury City Grants Fund. It will enable Salisbury Live to program a fantastic opening free event in the Market Square on Bank Holiday May 5th that will showcase some of our brilliant local musical talent as well as some top national guests!”