A popular festival has received £5,000 of funding to support its work in providing an engaging and accessible event.

The Phoenix Festival has been awarded the money from the National Lottery community fund, which distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes and is the largest community funder in the UK, will help to ensure the Festival takes place for another year.

It has been running since 2013 and is organised by a handful of volunteers throughout the year and staffed by small groups of volunteers over the festival weekend.

Jennie Hale, festival grants manager said: “We are delighted the National Community Lottery Fund has recognised our work in this way. This funding is just 10% of the £50,000 the volunteer committee have to raise each year but every contribution counts and is hugely appreciated.

"Thanks to National Lottery players, we will be able to enjoy this community festival for another year”.

The festival was founded by Ozone (a youth club for young people aged 13-19) who, wanted to show what young people can achieve; bring the community together and offer an inclusive festival for everyone.

Over time the festival and its’ volunteers have all grown professionally and personally and now offers four performance areas for artists of all levels, ages and backgrounds, including some first timers to a festival stage, to showcase their talents. Some 15,000 people now regularly visit this free to enter community festival.

This year's Phoenix Festival takes place on Saturday, August 24 and Sunday, August 25 in the Abbey Grounds, Cirencester.

To help keep the festival free, offers of in-kind, financial, or volunteer support are also always needed and gratefully received.