The planning and preparation for the Eritrean Festival UK 2010 is now in full swing and the organizers are determined to make it bigger and better than last year. This year the Festival is being held outdoors at the beautiful grounds of the Lee Valley Leisure Centre Edmonton for the third year running.

The festival is a unique opportunity to show the best of Eritrea in one place. Many programmes and activities have been planned which will cater for the enjoyment of everyone, but with more emphasis on children and families. This year a lot of attention has also been given to the youth.

The Festival will also make use of the Athletic centre, which is the largest indoor and outdoor athletics centre serving London and the South of England and where top athletes train. The Eritrean Festival organizers have hired this highly regarded centre to make it available for the many Eritrean children who will be taking part in the festival's various sports activities.

The festival helps our children appreciate their identity and understand their heritage more. It is also in these festivals that our children are bonding and making lifetime friends. Many are looking forward to this event and no doubt that they will have a great time.

We want our children to be successful and be highly competitive in life. We want to create an atmosphere and a platform for them to know each other and draw experience from each other. If anyone wishes to play part as a role model and contribute to the community, this is an excellent opportunity for them to share their experiences.

Sport, as usual, is one of the main parts of the festival. Our children had a taste of what is coming during the highly successful Sports Day in May during our Independence Day Celebrations. If you wish to participate, please register as soon as possible. The coordinators of the sports event would also love to hear from volunteers who could help with refereeing and managing hundreds of excited kids.

The festival programme also includes Fashion show, Shingrwa singing competition, live music, DJ, outdoor entertainments, forums, and many more.

We also have a program to collectively acknowledge the success of GCSE and ‘A' level students, as well as our graduates and reward those with outstanding achievements. This is also intended to encourage others to do well and emulate the success of their brothers and sisters. If you know anyone who has completed their GCSE, ‘A' level, Degree and Post Graduate Courses, please encourage them to register and celebrate their achievements with their people.

The Festival Organisers take Health and Safety very seriously and they are determined to make the festival venue a safe place for all to enjoy. If you have a health and safety background, you could assist with managing the health and safety aspects of the festival. We have method statements, risk assessments and emergency procedures in place and need competent people to manage them. They are also looking for qualified first aiders.

You may be good with children and love to spend time with them. Our children committee members are always busy and could do with a little bit more help. There are various games and activities such as bouncy castle, trampoline, face painting, heritage activities, traditional games, etc.

Many volunteers are working tirelessly in preparation for the Great Day to ensure that the event is a success. The festival is purely organized by volunteers who care about their country and community. It is not an easy task to organize such big events without the active participation of the community. We would therefore like to ask for volunteers particularly the youth to come forward and do their bit for their community.

Come and be part of this special event.

The Organizing Committee

festival.eritrea@yahoo.co.uk