Campaigners are stepping up their fight to save independent arts centre The Forest Café by holding a whole month of fundraising events.

Throughout May, benefit gigs will take place across the city as part of Roofraiser II, a campaign to raise money for various causes including The Forest Cafe, which has been threatened with closure since its owner, charity the Edinburgh University Settlement, went bankrupt last October.

Organised by The Forest Café and the record label Ten Tracks as part of the Save the Forest campaign, Roofraiser II follows the first Roofraiser, which raised over £1000 for the cause last month.

Forest volunteers, who have been told they must leave the premises by August 31, are now half way to raising their target of £50,000 to buy or rent the building by June 1, and have amassed 1500 signatures on their Save the Forest e-petition, as well as gaining support from high profile figures including Stephen Fry and artist Deborah Pearson.

Harry Giles, Fundraising Officer for the Save the Forest campaign, explained what it meant to have Ten Tracks on board: " The Forest cares a lot about collaborating on exciting and ambitious projects with a diversity of groups and it's been wonderful to have so many organisations like Ten Tracks rally round to support the Save the Forest campaign, which is so important for Edinburgh's arts community."

Benefit concerts will take place in The Forest Café and various other venues, and will feature a range of local bands enlisted by Ten Tracks, who hope to showcase over 500 musicians throughout the month.

Ed Stack from Ten Tracks said: "It's been great realising again just how much variety of quality music there is on offer in Edinburgh, and how truly unique the atmosphere at The Forest is.

If April's anything to go by, I can't wait for what we have coming up in the rest of May."

Save the Forest campaigners are encouraging people to show their support by signing their e-petition, committing to a monthly donation or by joining their campaign team.

For more information on the series of Fundraiser II gigs, visit the Forest blog.