A FESTIVAL is preparing for another weekend of activities to raise money for charity.

Loughton Festival, which started last week, will include the Forest Musical Theatre Company’s performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber - songs from the musicals on Saturday, May 13 at the Lopping Hall, High Road, at 7.30pm.

Tickets will be sold on the door and cost £10.

Other events taking place on Saturday include a talk in the Jazz Archive at 2.30pm at Loughton Library and the opening of the Loughton Art Trail at the Lifeworks Art Centre at 1pm.

On Sunday, the Loughton Town Council Charity Fun Run on will start at 9am at the Roding Valley Recreation Ground and a concert set in the middle of High Beach, played by members of the Woodford Symphony Orchestra at the Church of the Holy Innocents.

The festival is ran by volunteers and all money raised is donated to local charities, including the Loughton Youth Project and the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance. Each year, it raises thousands of pounds for local charities each year on a relatively low budget.

The festival also offers adult classes, specialising in history. These classes are taught by guest speakers including a professor David Stevenson from LSE, who will be giving a talk on the Russian Revolution.

Sue Taylor, director of the Loughton festival commented: “It is important to have a festival ran by local authorities rather than the town council or businesses.

“All money raised is donated to local charities and it is great to see the community come together.

“There needs to be more local authority adult education classes, this is the reason for us holding these classes, to educate adults without the added pressure of exams”

For tickets and a full programme of events, see www.loughtonfestival.org.