Air Festival Results

Heart's being told one of East Anglia's biggest summer events looks likely to be back next year.

Money from this year's Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival - which runs on donations -  has now been counted.

The grand total of £115,974 was collected from entrance donations - by 300 volunteers from local community groups.

Air Festival Company Director Brian Hunter said that he was delighted with the generous response from the public, who by donating £3 per person, had helped to raise the money.

Mr Hunter said "the organising committee decided to increase the suggested donation level by £1 this year – to help to secure the financial future of the event. The extra incentive for all who donated £3 to receive a 2 for 1 voucher for Pleasurewood Hills and a discount on Marina Theatre Pantomime tickets - no doubt also helped to swell the collection."

He added: "I cannot praise too highly the wonderful band of volunteer collectors who were on duty from 7.30am- 6pm each day, who remained cheerful and greeted each visitor with a smile - even when they were being ignored. They all did a superb job."

Air Festival Managing Director Paul Bayfield said that based on the estimated total crowd figures for the two days of 392,000 - then approximately one in ten people donated £3. In reality Mr Bayfield suggested that taking into account children included in the estimated crowd numbers - then a ratio of one in three adults making a £3 donation in the collector’s buckets, was more likely to be the case.

Either way, organisers say the future for an Air Festival in 2012 now seemed more hopeful -  but by no means a certainty yet.

Mr Bayfield said "not all our fundraising activities were as successful as the bucket collection. We will not be able to make a final decision on next year's event until all our bills have been paid and our total income is known - probably by mid September."

One of our fundraising initiatives is the chance to win-a-car for £1 and people can still buy tickets for that venture right up to the day of the grand draw on September 21st 2011."

Mr Bayfield reflecting on this years Airshow said "the weather was kind, the crowds turned out in their thousands and the pilots all gave brilliant flying displays – it was a great two days and we are indebted to the emergency services and to our vast team of helpers - who made it all possible.

Let’s hope that the financial results allow us to do it all again next year."