Polegate Scarecrow Festival will be marked with family summer fun day in High Street

The Scarecrow Festival was held last year and was a great success. Local residents and businesses get involved by creating scarecrows to raise money for charity. Scarecrow festivals have become popular in towns and villages across the country over the last few years and the Polegate community were pleased to get involved last year.

The Polegate Scarecrow Festival is organised by local teenager Nathan Dunbar, 16, and the will be running until July 27.

This year there will be more than 40 handmade creations to be seen in the town.

The event will raise money for charity and this year’s two chosen charities are SERV SUSSEX and St Wilfrid’s Hospice.

SERV Sussex provides night time transportation of blood, blood products and other urgent medical items for NHS hospitals across Sussex. The service is provided free of charge to the NHS between the hours of 7pm and 6am, 365 days of the year via a committed team of volunteer riders and drivers often using their own vehicles.

To celebrate the start of the festival, tomorrow (July 20)sees the first summer fun day in Polegate town centre.

The event is being held from noon outside the Polegate Town Council offices in the high street.

There will be a range of stalls and attractions available for the whole family.

Local businesses are supporting the event and there will be performances by Eastbourne Rock Choir.

Children can enjoy sand art, train rides, games and raffles.

There will also be an opportunity to have a photo on one of SERV’s Blood bikes.

Entertainment is being provided with live music and radio from Hailsham FM.

Nathan said, “The festival was a huge success last year raising more than £650 for local charities and the quality of this year’s scarecrows being seen around the town is superb.

“The event on Saturday is going to be great with something for the whole family and I welcome everybody to come and enjoy the event which is being opened by Polegate Mayor David Watts.”