HAWICK will have a new festival of fun and musical nostalgia this summer after a football club’s £2,000 funding bid was rubber-stamped.

A recent special meeting of Hawick Common Good Fund Sub-Committee agreed support of £2,000 to Hawick Youth FC to stage an easily accessible and affordable family friendly live music event on Saturday, August 17, titled ‘Tunes by the Teviot’.

The day is to be held at the new ‘Wee Haugh’ space and will consist of four tribute bands – 70s, 80s and 90s era bands with a Queen tribute act to finish.

Hawick Youth FC runs four teams and use Volunteer 3G Park for their competitive matches and has recently been successful in setting up two junior pitches in Wilton Lodge Park.

The club supports youngsters who want to play football and adults who want to ‘give something back’ by volunteering as coaches.

It is hoped to attract an audience of around 500 people to the festival with side stalls, food vendors, and bouncy castles to offer something for all the family.

There will be a licensed bar available with the event finishing at 9pm.

Any net proceeds from this event would be helpful in paying for the club’s pitch hire, which is an ongoing expense.

Hawick & Hermitage councillor Watson McAteer said: “It was a unanimous decision. The application gives us an opportunity to judge how effective the Wee Haugh is as a venue for events like this and to see if the neighbours are okay with it and to see what they future might be.

“It’s a new venue designed to be used by the public following the flood scheme works.

“It was well worthwhile the Common Good agreeing a small investment for what could be a long-term opportunity for the town.”

A report to the committee stated: “The event will be an additional event in the Hawick calendar for summer.

“With a focus on being family friendly it will offer a local, for some new experience and look to meet the identified needs of the community in relation to more music events as highlighted in the recent draft place plan.”