A hot weekend back in September 2023 brought in the crowds and brought in the cash, allowing the organisers of the Swanage Folk Festival to hand over a large cheque to Swanage food bank.
The Swanage event – now the largest UK festival of Morris and folk dance sides – was able to donate £1,000 to help the food bank, which provides emergency food aid to those in need in Swanage.
The cheque is handed over to the food bank, left to right: Lucy Cocke, Matt Piper, Ian Bandy and Jon Baker
“Needed more than ever before”
Swanage Folk Festival’s treasurer Matt Piper and chair Jon Baker met with Lucy Cocke and Ian Bandy of the food bank to present the cheque.
Jon Baker said:
“The Swanage Folk Festival is a nonprofit organisation, organised by volunteers. If there’s an income surplus after the festival, it’s all donated to local good causes.
“We are very happy to support the food bank as inflation, high heating and food costs mean it’s needed more than ever before.”
The 2023 event was hugely successful with the crowds, the music and the dancing filling the town
Bells jingling and sticks thwacking
The next Swanage Folk Festival, which will be bringing in top folk bands to entertain locals and hundreds of visitors, will take place from Friday 6th to Sunday 8th September 2024.
The event helps to extend the tourist season, generating additional income for Swanage as well as filling the town with hundreds of colourful dancers and the sound of bells jingling and sticks thwacking.
It’s self-funded and run solely by volunteers as a not for profit organisation and if there’s some extra cash it goes to charity.
In 2024, the organisers hope to make a further donation to the foodbank, as well as giving to the mental health charity #WillDoes and supporting local children to learn how to play music.
The festival in September 2023 took place on one of the hottest weeks of the year with many taking advantage of the sea to cool down!
Watch Swanage Folk Festival highlights
Further information
- More about Swanage Folk Festival
