Fundraising total is music to the ears of Hope House
Visitors to this year’s festival have helped to smash the £70,000 fundraising barrier for Hope House Children’s Hospices as we celebrate our 11th year of working together.
Hope House, which supports children with life limiting illnesses and their families, has received more than £7,800 after this year’s festival, including more than £2,000 from a donation for every adult weekend ticket that was sold.
The money will be used to fund music therapy sessions at the hospice. Since the partnership between our two organisations began in 2008, we have raised a total of £70,791.
This year the Hope House stall at the festival raised more than £3,300 and the annual bucket collection at the Bellstone and Pengwern stages resulted in around £1,835. Money was also raised through the charging of mobile phone and other electrical devices as well as collecting tins dotted around the festival site.
Festival Director Sandra Surtees said she was over the moon that such a significant sum had been raised.
“When we first began our partnership with Hope House we didn’t know where it would lead. But our festivalgoers’ generosity knows no bounds and each year they give an amazing show of support to Hope House,” she said.
“Music therapy is something that can make such a difference to the children using Hope House and we feel that fundraising for this service is the perfect fit for us. We cannot thank our supporters enough and look forward to doing it all over again next year!”
Vanessa Thomas, the Major Gifts Manager for Hope House, said: “Wow! Every year the support we receive from the organisers of Shrewsbury Folk Festival and the festivalgoers gets bigger and better and literally blows our socks off!
“Our Hope House stall had a record year as did our bucket collections during the Sunday afternoon concerts and all our volunteers had a brilliant weekend.
“The money raised will enable all the terminally ill children who come to Hope House for vital respite care to enjoy fulfilling and fun music therapy sessions that really do enhance their wellbeing and quality of life. We can’t thank the folk festival team enough for its continued support over the past 11 years.”
