A festival of cultural and community events is set to go ahead in Tavistock in September, thanks to National Lottery funding.

Respect Fest will be held in the town and beyond from September 14 to 21.

The organisers of Tavistock’s Respect Fest have secured £15,000 from the National Lottery for creative and community events.

Building on the success of last year’s Tavi Celebrates Multiculturalism events, Respect Fest aims to connect people and promote mutual understanding through food, music, culture, creative arts and community events.

Its mission is to promote respect for everyone, and say no to all forms of prejudice. Last year’s events included a community feast, live music and arts and craft sessions, including Ukrainian doll making.

This year’s main festival will take place between September 14 and 20, with a number of activities also planned for the summer, starting with a display of refugee stories in Tavistock Library from Monday, June 15 and a Community Feast in Okehampton the following weekend. Further programme announcements will be released in the coming weeks.

Organiser Sam said: “We are thrilled to have received this funding, and excited to partner with local organisations, groups and venues to deliver a vibrant festival programme for our community.”

Stay up to date with the latest news, follow Respect Fest 26 on Facebook and respect_fest_tavi on Instagra. For more info or to get involved, message on socials or email [email protected].