Real Ale lovers rejoice as the count down begins to the 13th Forever Bury Beer and Cider Festival.

The popular annual event will take place at Bury FC Social Club at the club's Gigg Lane ground on May 10 to 12.

The Joshua Wilson Brain Tumour charity is this year's charity and over previous years attendees, volunteers, breweries cider producers and sponsors have helped to raise over £146,000 to date.

The festival will boast around 70 real ales and ciders from across the UK alongside a huge continental bottle bar, and a wine, Prosecco and gin bar run by the club.

The event will also make a fun family day out with a crèche, facepainting and games from 11am to 4pm on Saturday 12.

A Wear Your T-shirt With Pride Day will take place on the Saturday with organisers asking visitors to wear the colours of any sporting club they support.

The feature has enjoyed a great response in the past with attendees sporting shirts from clubs around Europe as well as national shirts Norway, Sweden and The Netherlands.

Organisation for the event is now well underway, supported by breweries, cider makers and distilleries all over the country, and all sourced drinks will be collected by Logistics Sponsors Simon Willitts Transport of Heywood.

Forever Bury is also looking for sponsors to take on sponsorship packages, including event sponsorship, various Associate Sponsorships and 4 different packages for beer and cider sponsorship.

Festival organiser Dave Giffard said: "Forever Bury is desperate to find sponsors to take on the various sponsorship packages that have been put together.

"It’s a great opportunity for companies to get involved and help the fans raise money for the great causes that Forever Bury support.

"Several local companies have got behind the event but the most distant sponsor has got involved from Florida."

Anyone interested is asked to contact Mr Giffard on

davegiffard@talktalk.net, or log onto the Beer Festival website at www.fb-beerfestivals.co.uk and download the sponsorship options.

You can also make a direct donation to Super Josh at www.joshwilson.org.uk.

The festival will open from 11am to 11pm daily.