A COMMUNITY event in Weymouth went with a bang on Saturday night.

It is the first time Southill Fireworks has been held at Budmouth Technology College and organiser Jon Gabb said it was ‘fantastic’.

An estimated 2,000 people attended and helped to raise money for charity.

Jon, who has been organising the event for 17 years, said: “It was a beautiful night for it, a little cold, but overall I am really happy with how it went.”

The display was dedicated to late Southill resident Rory Williams, who died from skin cancer in 2012 aged 35.

Jon’s brother Paul was in charge of entertainment, which, besides fireworks, included a music and light show, live music, the Air 107.2FM roadshow, stalls and competitions.

Dorset Fire and Rescue Service was also on hand to give demonstrations.

Jon said: “It was really good of these guys to come along. They gave chip pan demonstrations and got children up into the driver’s seat of the fire engine, which I think a lot of people really enjoyed.”

The evening had been planned for two years, when organisers decided to move it from the previous venue at Southill for more people to come along.

Jon said: “It was getting really popular and of course, we want to raise as much as we can for charity, so for that reason we decided to move it to Budmouth.”

The fireworks event is run on a not-for-profit basis and proceeds will be donated to Sparks, a charity aiming to improve children’s play facilities in Southill, and Budmouth College.