A MONTH of “fabulous” community events kicks off this weekend.

Loughton Festival, organised by Sue Taylor and a number of volunteers, run the events, which start on Saturday, April 29.

Sue is the founder of the festival which started 11 years ago, and she takes two months off work to dedicate herself to the preparations.

She said: “The thing to remember is that our festival is always great because it’s run by volunteers. Whereas others are funded by council’s, ours is only part funded by the local authority. It’s a real community event.

“It’s really a lot of work, but the thing about it is that there’s something for everyone. It has certainly got a lot more popular over the years. I have people phoning me in January asking to book tickets.”

More than eight organisations come together to put the events on, which includes professional speeches and a photography class.

Organising the festival is not always easy however, and a £2,000 grant from Loughton Town Council does not cover all costs.

The Loughton citizen of the year said: “We raise the money by begging and borrowing and we are currently very low on sponsorship. We are very grateful to the town council for giving us a grant every year.

“It’s really fabulous to see the whole community working together. It’s fantastic.”

A full programme of events and tickets are available at www.loughtonfestival.org.