HOUSING group Coast and Country has stepped in with £4,000 to ensure the Skinningrove Bonfire burns as brightly as ever.

The bonfire, which is in its 30th year, is using the summer’s Olympic Games for inspiration for its November 5 spectacular.

Adrian Hill, from the Skinningrove Bonfire Committee, said: “Coast and Country’s donation has lifted our spirits.

"We were struggling for donations due to the recession hitting the businesses that normally give us funding. The £4,000 from Coast and Country has covered our shortfall and is enabling us to go ahead.

“The bonfire costs around £12,000 to stage, so in order to secure the bonfire for next year, we will be out in force with collection buckets on the night. We encourage everyone who enjoys the bonfire to give generously to ensure it continues.”

Using the housing company’s '‘Your Way, You Say' scheme, tenants were able to make the decisions on where community funding is spent and decided to invest in the bonfire.

Iain Sim, chief executive of Coast and Country, said: “It is wonderful to know that Coast and Country has saved the event. It would have been a great shame to have seen an event with such a tradition like the Skinningrove Bonfire die.”