ORGANISERS of a year-long festival to celebrate 900 years since the building of Cirencester’s Abbey are to hold a volunteer recruitment evening next month.

Abbey 900 continues to take shape with a variety of local businesses and groups having already pledged their support, as the programme of events is put together.

Meg Blumsom, secretary to the Abbey 900 steering group, said: “There is a lot of interest in something which is exciting as this, and we welcome anyone, whatever their skills, abilities or interests.

“After all, this project is about building something to engage the whole community. “We really value what people’s energy and ideas can bring to this town, and we are hoping to create a whole team of enthusiastic festival ambassadors.”

Sewell, Mullings and Logie have so far all agreed to sponsor a 70,000-brick LEGO brick model of the Abbey, while the Winstone Trust has also recently come on board to sponsor the festival.

Corinne Lamus, chair of the Abbey 900 steering group, said: “Since the launch in September we are having more and more groups express their commitment to this project. “We are well on our way to make this a fantastic year for the people of Cirencester.”

The festival will include a May Day Fair, the arrival of four ancient Abbey manuscripts at the Corinium Museum, Plantagenet and Civil War re-enactments, as well as the unveiling of the LEGO model, designed by 20-year-old Oxford Brookes student Amy Speed.

The volunteer event will be held in the Bingham Gallery on Wednesday November 9, between 3.30 and 7.00 pm.