THIS summer's Firestarter Festival, which is exclusively for teenagers, is changing venue.
The festival was originally due to be held at the Ardwhallan Outdoor Education Centre but will now be held at Union Mills Football Club.
Building works at the Ardwhallan site which were due to be finished in July have rendered the site not "fit for use" according to festival organisers.
Graeme Brooks, the festival co-ordinator, said: "It is now apparent that the Ardwhallan site will not be fit for use at the end of August as we had hoped and this unfortunately means that we have had to move on short notice.
"Thankfully Union Mills Football Club was available and they were prepared to take us. I'd like to thank both Steve Carter from Union Mills Football Club and Angelina Leece from Switched On Events, who supply our marquees and event equipment, because they have both been great about helping us out with the last minute change."
Despite the change in venue teenagers will still be able to use the outdoor activity facilities at Ardwhallan.
Graeme continued: "While we won't actually be camping at Ardwhallan we have confirmed with the Department of Education that we can still offer the same adventure activities that we had planned.
"The football club is close enough to the outdoors centre that we will be able to shuttle kids up there for a morning or afternoon of activities during the festival.
"In fact in some ways we can actually offer a better experience now as we will have the Union Mills Football Club clubhouse and its excellent facilities in addition to our normal marquee. Plus I imagine we will be able to get a few good football matches going!
"The festival experience won't suffer from the change of venue at all."
Firestarter has been running annually since 1997 and is open to young people between the ages of 12 and 17. This year's festival will take place from Wednesday, August 17, to Sunday, August 21.
In addition to the outdoor adventure activities there will be a 24 hour rock café, talent shows, stage entertainment, giant boxing, super sumo wrestling and water fights.
A number of live musicians, arranged via The Upper Room, will also perform including acoustic solo acts Dave Woodgett and Jon Price, house band PastDoubt, Guildford based Doomed from Day One, Kill the Conversation from Dorchester and local melodic hardcore band Our Final Hour.
Tickets for the Firestarter Festival cost £90 (not £95 as previously stated) which includes four nights camping, meals and entertainment. For an application form or more information visit www.firestarterfestival.com.
