We are a small Brighton company with limited resources but have found the money to help fund various events in the Festival over the years.

There have been tremendous benefits to us as individuals, both staff and directors, in involvement in the artistic life of our city.

The Brighton Festival is a unique event in the South of England, offering high and low art in equal measure.

The arts are not separate from everyday life, they are central to it. Children and young people, young adults and oldies like us, all benefit from involvement in the arts.

Brighton and Hove, with its Festival and the superb Dome (said to be one of the most acoustically sophisticated venues in Europe), is at the forefront of offering stunning events on our doorstep.

A city without a cultural centre cannot claim to represent the needs and desires of its populace. If we have to add a few quid to our rates to maintain the Dome and the festival, it is not a price we should have to pay grudgingly.

Luckily, involvement with local schools is central to the ethos of the both the Dome and Festival, so local children get many educational advantages from such a venue and events on our doorstep.

This year, we at Bonett's got together with a few other small businesses to help fund a festival event - a mixed bag of builders, child care providers, small scale publishers and mortgage advisors.

It was amazing. Many people try to play the "us" and "them" game with the festival. But it's not true - everyone is a winner.

It's one of the real assets we have, adding revenue throughout our city, and the Dome is a core venue, giving value all year round.

-Paul and Dee Bonett, Bonett's Estate Agents