Blast off for Higham Ferrers fireworks experts with £111,706 cultural recovery grant

A Higham Ferrers-based fireworks company, who help people celebrate the UK's biggest events, are now celebrating being awarded a sparkling £111,706 cash grant.

Titanium Fireworks received the award in the second round of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund, one of more than 2,700 recipients to benefit from the latest round of awards from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.

The company which has its registered office in Higham Ferrers and whose staff are based in the county will light the blue touchpaper on preparations for spectacular displays this coming year.

Experts in 'pyromusical' firework and soundtrack synchronisation, Titanium Fireworks has been behind most of the high profile displays in the country including those for London New Year, Edinburgh Hogmanay, Hull City of Culture, Rugby World Cup, Commonwealth Games and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Ceremonies.

A spokesman for Titanium Fireworks said: "This award will help us scale back up to prepare for the year ahead which we hope will be much brighter for everyone.

"The grant allows us to scale back up for the year ahead by employing new staff, bringing workers back off furlough and returning to the job we love.

"When the country is ready to hold cultural, sporting or national celebrations we will be in a position to deliver world class shows for these upcoming events.

"Titanium Fireworks was born from the passion to deliver the best possible firework displays for any given budget.

"While our reputation is built on delivering national and international events we are equally excited when working with event planners and private individuals to deliver weddings and parties."

With a combined experience of 80 years in the firework display business, the company is wholly owned and run by four close friends.

Company director, Simon Page, said: “Our centre of gravity has always been in the East Northants area so it seemed logical to have our registered office in Higham.

"One of our directors returned to Northants when we started Titanium Fireworks having grown up in Stanwick.

"All but one of the full-time team - and many of the part-time team - come from Northants or just over the border into Cambridgeshire.

"Given how widely we work across the UK, Northamptonshire is a nicely central position from which to create and dispatch our shows and crews.”

The second round of awards made at the start of April will help organisations to look ahead to the spring and summer and plan for re-opening and recovery.

After months of closures and cancellations to contain the virus and save lives, this funding will be a much-needed helping hand for organisations transitioning back to normal in the months ahead.

The spokesman added: "This team has designed and delivered some of the most notable displays of the last decade and this grant has helped us through an incredibly tough and challenging time for the country, events industry and fireworks sector."

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, said: “Our record breaking Culture Recovery Fund has already helped thousands of culture and heritage organisations across the country survive the biggest crisis they've ever faced.

"Now we’re staying by their side as they prepare to welcome the public back through their doors - helping our cultural gems plan for reopening and thrive in the better times ahead."