ORGANISERS of a much-loved annual Penrith event are appealing for the public's help to continue the winter time celebration.

Eden Arts, which organises the popular Winter Droving festival in Penrith, is setting up a fundraising campaign to 'ensure the Winter Droving keeps happening' - and is hoping to generate £10,000 through crowd funding.

For more than a decade, fire, music, masks and mayhem have descended on Penrith town centre.

The festival encourages visitors to dress up and 'join the herd' by donning a mask and enjoying the entertainment.

Every year the costs go up for the Winter Droving festival, with organisers saying this is 'partly due to the growing scale of it due to its success, and partly due to the fact that everything just costs more'.

"This year we are currently facing a shortage of £15,000, but they feel sure that this shortfall can be tackled with the public’s help," they said.

Eden Arts has said that if every participant from last year were to donate just £1 to the fundraising campaign then they will more than cover the target.

The organisers are working with charity match-funding platform, Big Give, to try and raise funds for the 2024 event, with £10,000 already being raised from the platform.

Next Tuesday, July 2, the crowdfunder will go live to the public, with Eden Arts aiming to raise a further £10,000 to make sure that the festival plugs the funding gap.

A spokesman for the Winter Droving said: "We’re working with charity match funding platform, Big Give, to raise the funds we need to ensure the Winter Droving keeps happening.

"Here’s how it works. Alongside their usual sponsorship, we’ve secured £8,000 in pledges from four of our main sponsors - The Idol, Penrith Chamber of Trade and Commerce, Leo Group and Ast Signs.

"This means that Big Give can release £2,000 in extra match funding, but only if YOU help us to raise at least a further £10,000 by crowdfunding.

"That means we’d have the money we need to plug the funding gap and make sure the Droving doesn’t make a loss this year."

Organisers have asked people to keep looking at the Winter Droving on Facebook and Instagram and keep your eyes peeled for the crowdfunder launch next Tuesday, July 2.