Scilly Folk Festival has been future proofed thanks to a £1,113 donation from the Steamship Company’s Community Fund.

The money has allowed the folk club to buy new professional sound equipment, including a mixing desk and PA system.

Better kit means more visiting bands will be attracted to perform at the folk festival as they won’t need to transport their own equipment.

Angela Jenkins, Treasurer and Secretary of the Isles of Scilly Folk Club, said: “We are very grateful for the support of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company, which will help future proof the Isles of Scilly Folk Festival.

“This money will make such a difference. We won’t make a profit from the folk festival and raising enough money to buy this new equipment would have taken years.”

The seventh annual Scilly Folk Festival will take please from May 21-26 2020, with music, song and dance featuring some of the best folk music from the islands and the South West.

Applications to the Community Fund are open to voluntary groups or charities, schools and education establishments, community clubs or societies, and individuals undertaking not-for-profit projects for the benefit of the wider community.

Full details, eligibility criteria and application forms are now available from the Steamship Group’s website. All projects are judged by members of an independent panel.