Beach Fest, which will take place between Friday 9 July and Sunday 18 July, will bring together three existing events all currently hosted at Sandbanks.

The event builds on the popularity of the beach polo event which has proved hugely successful over the last two years.

The proposal was made by Johnny Wheeler, organiser of The British Beach Polo Championships which will kick off the 10 day event and include Football Focus before finishing with the Sandbanks Beach Volleyball Festival.

Activities including beach soccer, beach tag rugby and a music event will be held throughout the festival.

Other activities held during the weekdays will be delivered by working with schools and local groups.

Johnny Wheeler, Event Organiser, The Flame Agency, said: "The Flame Agency are delighted to facilitate the Beach Festival. There will be a feast of activities for all to enjoy on the spectacular blue flag beach throughout the week."

The council consulted the Poole Opinion Panel for their views on events during the autumn of 2009 and found 81 per cent of residents felt that events were ‘good’ on Poole’s beaches.

Music, sport and arts were ranked as the top three events people would like to see more of on our beaches.

Clive Smith, Head of Leisure Services, Borough of Poole, said: "Holding events in Poole is an important part of developing our economy and promoting Poole as a desirable visitor location. We are delighted that we will be able to offer residents and vistors of all ages such a wide range of things to see and do over the summer period. We hope it is a real success for all involved and encourages more sport and music events to Poole’s beaches."

An arena used to host major matches for the three main events will be set up from Monday 5 July and public access to the arena will be maintained throughout the event.

The arena will be dismantled from 19 July and the beach will be open as normal from Wednesday 21 July.

Further information will be available on Poole Tourism’s website in due course.

In aid of Heaton-Ellis Trust, the Poole Audi Charity ‘Horse Power’ Race will take place within the confines of the arena on Friday 10th and Saturday 11th July at 5pm and entertain the crowds. Enlisting the skills of racing driver, Andy Toy, Poole Audi will pitch the Audi Q7 4.2-litre TDI, which has the equivalent of 320 horses under the bonnet, against an Argentinean breed of Polo pony ridden by a professional player.  The mighty V8 engine generates an output of 326PS and 760 Newtons of torque and has the ability to accelerate from standstill to 62mph in 6.4 seconds and has a top speed of 146mph.

In purchasing a ticket, attendees to the Championships will be able to pick pony or car as the fastest contender around the arena circuit for the chance to win a prize.  All ticket sale proceeds from the race will go to the Heaton-Ellis Trust, a charity set up by David Heaton-Ellis, his family and friends to fund research into finding a cure for Motor Neurone Disease.  David, who along with Johnny Wheeler, was the mastermind and driving force behind last year’s sand polo championships, tragically died of the disease in May 2009.  As determined as he was to bring beach polo to Poole he was equally as determined that a cure for MND be found and this hope, despite his demise, lives on through the Heaton-Ellis Trust.

David Kelly, managing director at Poole Audi, says: “The Charity ‘Horse Power’ Race is extremely exciting and adds an entertaining element to the event, whilst at the same time raising money for a worthwhile charity.  The exceptional power of a V8 4.2-litre engine may just give us the edge against the pony. After all, 320 horses should beat one pony power! We’re looking forward to an exciting race.”

Welcoming Poole Audi on board as sponsors of this race, Johnny Wheeler from Sandpolo Ltd, organisers of the British Beach Polo Championships, said: “We would like to thank Poole Audi for coming on board for the second year running. Last year, this feature made exciting viewing for all the spectators and I am confident the pony will be able to test the car to its limits at the 2009 event!”

There are a host of ticket options available to make the event accessible to all.  General admission to the tournament is £35 per day, the Polo and Party tickets cost £70 and hospitality table packages cost £300 per head. For more information on the tournament, or to purchase tickets, visit www.sandpolo.com.