Whitstable Oyster Festival is very grateful to all its sponsors and supporters for the financial help provided. Sponsorship is a vital source of funding for the festival, enabling us to keep it affordable and accessible to as many people as possible.

Major sponsors

DFDS Seaways (formerly Norfolkline) sails daily from Dover to Dunkirk every two hours and prices start from £25 for a car and up to four people. Visit www.norfolkline.com for more information.

Canterbury City Council core fund the Festival and provide support through its Events, Tourism, and Communications teams in partnership with the Whitstable Oyster Festival Association and the Festival director.

Festival sponsors and supporters

Mercedes-Benz of Canterbury – Broad Oak Road. The only official Mercedes Benz Approved Used Sales and After Sales retailer in Canterbury. No-one knows Mercedes-Benz better than us.

Whitstable Oyster Festival is very grateful to the Big Lottery Fund’s Local Food Scheme for the EPICentre Food Fair. This funding has helped the festival to showcase the quality and variety of foods local to Whitstable, actively involving local producers, gardeners, organisations and schools prior to and during the event.

The festival is very grateful to Cllr Mark Dance and Kent County Council for the Community Engagement Grant received to support this event. This grant enables a wider range of people and organisations to participate in the Oyster Festival.

Vattenfall is the proud owner of the Kentish Flats and Thanet Offshore Wind Farms. Vattenfall is Europe’s fifth largest electricity generator and the largest heat generator. We are one of the biggest investors in power generation from renewable energy sources where wind power plays an important role.

Wetherspoons is looking forward to opening its new pub, The Peter Cushing, in Oxford Street, Whitstable this summer. By offering an environment for people to enjoy a drink and meal in quiet and comfortable surroundings, we believe our new pub will be an asset to the area, welcomed by people of all ages.

With luxury new build family homes at Kingsbrook Park, in the heart of Canterbury city centre, Berkeley is a proud sponsor of the kite flying event at the Whitstable Oyster Festival.

Chaucer Insurance is delighted to sponsor the Whitstable Oyster Festival. This sponsorship is part of our wider Corporate Social Responsibility programme and recognises the value we place on our employees and their families in Whitstable as well as the wider Whitstable community.

Towergate Insurance – providing insurance solutions for the local community. Call us on 01227 285000.

Media Partners

KM Group is Kent’s only independent multimedia company. 650,099 readers*, 178,000 listeners**, and 292,216 unique browsers***. Together we make a difference. Sources: *Weekly average – JICREG Jan 2011/ **Weekly average – RAJAR Q4 2010/ *** Monthly average – ABC Jul-Dec 2010. KM Group circulates 41% more newspapers than all its audited competitors combined.

The Imp is a free publication delivered to houses and businesses in Whitstable and Herne Bay. Packed full of essential features for locals and tourists alike, the Imp is a natural partner for the Whitstable Oyster festival and proud to offer its support.

Read all the latest Whitstable Oyster Festival news in the Whitstable Times – out on Thursday. Established and first printed in Whitstable in 1863, it’s the local newspaper that generations of Natives have grown up with.

Special Thanks

Whitstable Oyster Festival is very appreciative of the help and support it receives from the community. We would like to thank all of the following people and organisations for their help in 2011.

All Festival Helpers and volunteers for help leading up to and during the festival.

All people taking part in the parade.

Barrie, Richard and James Green for use of beaches.

Betty Finn for loaning of costumes.

Cllr Mark Dance for continued financial support and encouragement.

Jenny Koukoulis and the volunteers of the Whitstable Improvement Trust.

Joy Lane Primary School, St. Alphege Infant School, St. Mary’s Catholic School, Swalecliffe Primary School, Whitstable Junior School, Westmeads Infant School, and Whitstable and Seasalter Endowed Junior School for taking part in the Oyster Parade.

Kites and Things for Kite Competition support.

Screen Machine for printing services

St Alphege Church for offering itself as a venue for local performers free of charge.

The Oyster Fishery Co for the donation of T-shirts for the crab catching competition.

The Whitstable Branch of the Association of Men of Kent and Kentish Men for organising the Blessing of the Waters.

Whitstable Chamber of Commerce.

All the staff at the Horsebridge Arts and Community Centre.

Jon Lambert, Christina Burrows and Councillor Neil Baker for Festival image archive.

Jonathan Gwyer for Facebook iFrame support

Whitstable Oyster Festival Association

Brian Baker (Chairman)
David Roberts (Secretary)
Gordon Dalston (Accounts)
Daphne Bird
Liz McGown
Paul George
Emily Turner
Emma Standen

Festival Director

Mair Stratton

Festival support

Michelle Moubarak – Senior Creative Development Officer, Canterbury City Council
Lauren Niven – Events Support Officer, Canterbury City Council
Canterbury City Council Events Department