AN organisation set up by the Premier's wife to raise cash for last year's Bermuda Music Festival is involved in the event again this year.

The Tourism Helps Everyone Foundation is listed as one of 11 corporate sponsors of this year's concert series, which kicks off on October 3.

Wanda Brown set up THE last year in a bid to provide funds for the event. In September 2006 the Mid-Ocean News revealed that Mrs. Brown was able to solicit about $400,000 after she organised her own concert ¿ even though THE was not a registered charity.

An invitation to the THE concert read: "This event is being produced under the auspices of the THE Foundation, a charitable organisation whose purpose is to raise money to help offset the price of certain costly Tourism activities.

"Net proceeds of this event will be used to help offset the costs of production of the 2006 Bermuda Music Festival."

It was also revealed that Mrs. Brown applied to the Charities Commission for her organisation to be registered as a charity but that, according to Dr. Brown, there were "legal impediments" to obtaining the registration.

"In no instance has THE Foundation claimed that it is a registered charity ¿ they have said that the organisation is a 'charitable organisation'," Dr. Brown said at the time.

It was later ruled that THE did not need to obtain charity status before soliciting the public for cash ¿ a decision that was condemned by at least one Commission member, who claimed that "THE should take a more professional approach and be subject to reporting requirements".

The organisation caused further controversy after the Opposition United Bermuda Party raised concerns about foreign organisations buying political influence. THE contributors included Don Coleman of Global Hue, the US marketing company which, in 2005, secured a $13.2-million contract as the Tourism Department's principal advertising agency.

Another contributor, US firm Kurron, has won a controversial $13.5-million Government contract to act as a consultant to the Bermuda Hospitals Board, and Fiduciary Investment Solutions, a consultant for the Government pension fund, also made a contribution.

It is not known if THE has since been able to register as a charity, if it has been soliciting the public for funds, or the size of its donation to this year's festival.