£70,000 Llangollen Eisteddfod appeal past halfway mark
An urgent global appeal has already attracted £40,000 of pledges to help secure the future of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.
It was launched last weekend after it was announced that this year's event was heading for a financial loss as a result of disappointing ticket sales.
Eisteddfod officials said today they were delighted with the response to the appeal since they urged supporters to keep on giving towards a target of £70,000 to tackle the cash crisis.
Concert goers for the Burt Bacharach curtain-raiser to this year's event dropped almost £500 in collection buckets and there has been a steady stream of donations, large and small, all week.
Rhys Davies, eisteddfod vice-chairman, said: "There has been an absolutely fantastic response which shows the regard in which the eisteddfod is held – and I and the rest of the committee are very touched by that.
"Within hours we had started receiving pledges of cash and support and it is a clear demonstration of the real affection that people feel towards the eisteddfod which has played such an important role in bringing peace and harmony to the world for so many years.
"I would stress, however, we're not out of the woods yet and I would implore people to keep on giving so that we can secure the future of this wonderful festival for many years to come."
The appeal was announced by long-serving eisteddfod chairman Gethin Davies, who first attended the event as a boy in 1951.
He said: "The eisteddfod is an expensive festival to put on, and, like many other festivals, we have been walking a financial tight-rope for some time. The eisteddfod board has submitted a three-year business plan to the Arts Council of Wales and is confident that if we can weather the present difficulties we can move into profit.
"The music director has set out an extremely attractive concert programme for 2016 – including a household name – which we are confident will attract larger audiences, and the preliminary budget for 2016 shows a reasonable surplus."
People who wish to make a donation can do so via the Llangollen International Eisteddfod's website www.international-eisteddfod.co.uk
