THE East Cleveland Scarecrow Festival has received a welcome boost in the shape of a cheque for £1,000 from SABIC.

The chemical company, which has its UK headquarters based at Wilton, has been a member of the Redcar | Cleveland Ambassadors since its inception.

The scarecrow festival, which is the brainchild of fellow ambassador Denise Nesbitt, has been running since 2015.

This year’s festival takes place from August 3 – 31 and will see dozens of scarecrows popping up in villages all-round the east of the borough.

Claire Wordsworth, SABIC Senior Communication Business Partner, said: “We love the Scarecrow Festival, it is a great example of a grassroots event, embedded in the community, that is great fun and which is growing at pace.

“We hope our contribution will raise further awareness of the event and enable and encourage more people from all ages, capabilities and backgrounds to get involved.

“SABIC is happy to support the festival – just don’t spend it on stuffing.”

The Northern Echo:

Denise Nesbitt and Claire Wordsworth are joined by two friends while they chat about the East Cleveland Scarecrow Festival

Denise Nesbitt said she was delighted with the cash boost to help develop the festival.

She said: “This is going to be the biggest and best Scarecrow Festival yet. We’ve got more villages taking part than ever before, so if you’re in East Cleveland in August keep your eyes peeled for our scarecrows.

“We’re really grateful to SABIC for their support and to Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council who have freed up an apprentice to help develop our website.”