Kendal Calling has revealed that this summer’s festival has raised a whopping £55,735 for local charities, organisations and other deserving causes. Funds were raised just last month at Kendal Calling through donations, merchandise sales, guest list donations, on site activations and more, thanks to the continued, truly impactful generosity and support of Kendal Calling’s attendees.
Those benefitting from the funds include Hospice At Home whose bright yellow sunflowers could be seen across the site as festivalgoers bought them in support of the charity, wearing them proudly all weekend, North West Air Ambulance who operated an on-site post office selling postcards that were sent out the same day, and Eden Animal Rescue who fundraised and raised awareness of their brilliant cause on site, while guestlist donations were raised in support of Alder Hey Children’s Charity and Guide Dogs For The Blind, James’ Place, Penrith Lion, Growing Well and Askham Outdoor Swimming.
Cara Varty from the Hospice at Home fundraising team said, “Our Sunflower volunteers had a wonderful time in the fields this year, raising funds and hearing personal accounts from festival goers of how Hospice at Home had cared for, or are caring for a loved one. It was a very humbling and memorable experience, as we had a record breaking year raising over £19,000. The fields were a mass of sunflowers, we can’t thank our supporters, or Kendal Calling enough!”
Additionally, the money raised through coffee sales at Tim Burgess’ on-site venue Tim Peaks Diner has gone towards Help Us Help Bands. This is a brand-new fund set up by both Kendal Calling and Tim Burgess, inspired by the ethos of Tim Peaks Diner’s support for new artists. The fund will donate money to up and coming bands to allow them to record new music, purchase merchandise and much more. The first donations from this fund have gone to help English Teacher get back on the road after having their equipment stolen and to The Maddocks who played Kendal Calling this year to invest in merchandise.
Andy Smith, founder of Kendal Calling said, “We’re happy to announce that Kendal Calling 2023 collected a record sum of over £55,000 for various worthy causes. This will support national and regional charities such as Guide Dogs for the Blind, James’ Place, and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. In addition, we will be directing funds to local initiatives like schools, sports, and carnival groups in the region. We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who came to the 2023 festival and to all the incredible volunteers whose support and time makes these donations possible.”
Since its inception, Kendal Calling has raised over £250,000 for an array of worthy causes. Kendal Calling is proud to support these charities and organisations, donating funds to ensure their vital work can continue. This includes the advanced pre-hospital care North West Air Ambulance Charity provide to critically ill and injured patients across the North West, through to Alder Hey Children’s Charity incredible support for young people in need. The festival has also provided funds for many community projects within Cumbria such as Askham’s swimming pool, a children’s playground in Penrith and Brough FC – a local upstart football club.
