Kendal Calling Facebook group raises £3,000 for charity

A Facebook group for fans of the Lake District’s Kendal Calling festival have raised £3,000 for local charities after selling 1,000 wristbands to group members.

Emma Lester, an admin of the Kendal’s Calling You Facebook group, took the initiative to design and sell UV wristbands bearing the group’s name back in January.

The distinctive green wristbands helped group members to spot each other around the festival. As they’re ultraviolet, they’ll have stood out a mile in Kendal’s gin bar and glow tent.

Kendal Calling organisers then set the group a challenge; that if they sold 1,000 wristbands, the festival would match the total money raised.

An initial batch of 500 wristbands sold out in February, with the target of 1,000 being sold well before this year’s event. As promised, Kendal Calling matched the £1,500 raised, bringing the total donation to £3,000.

Three local charities are now set to receive £1,000 each. The charities, which were also supported by Kendal Calling last year, are:

• Fletcher’s Fund – A charity providing grants to the families of children with cancer
• Brathay Trust – Improving the life chances of young people, with a focus on training and outdoor education
• Eden Valley Hospice – A home-from-home environment providing care for adults with life-limiting illnesses from North Cumbria

Initially, group admins planned to hold a vote to decide which charity would be given the funds raised. However, it was then decided that instead, all three should benefit.

Group members also donated to cover the initial cost of ordering the wristbands, and supplied self-addressed envelopes for their distribution.

Group founder Emma Lester told TheFestivals that the support from both the group and the festival had been “amazing,” and added her thanks for the other admins, Liz, Darren, and Claire.

She continued: “It has been a massive job, but it was amazing to see the group come together on Friday afternoon wearing sh*t shirts and wristbands” (main image)

Plans are confirmed to sell wristbands again ahead of the festival next year.

Leanne Fisher, Fletcher’s mother and founder of Fletcher’s Fund, gave this statement to TheFestivals:

“The team at Fletcher’s Fund would like to thank Emma, the Kendal’s Calling You group and Kendal Calling themselves for being absolutely awesome! Kendal Calling have been great supporters of ours from the very beginning, giving us tickets to auction off, allowing us a stand at last year’s Kendal Calling, and now this.

“We were gutted that we couldn’t join you all in the fields this year, but your fundraising efforts and support is massively appreciated, and will make a huge difference to our aims, which are to help kids with cancer to have fun and make memories, in memory of our gorgeous son, Fletcher, who died last year aged 23 months.

“We hope that our friendship with Kendal Calling will continue, and that
we’ll see you in the fields again next year!!

“A huge thank you!! #teamfletcher”

The two other local charities and Kendal Calling organisers have been contacted for comment.

The ‘Kendal’s Calling You’ Facebook group currently boasts just shy of 3,700 members and has been growing exponentially since it was formed just over a year ago.

With this year’s Kendal Calling selling out its 25,000 tickets, there’s plenty of scope for the group’s growth to continue, and potentially raise even more money ahead of next year’s event.

If you’re a big Kendal Calling fan, or if you’re thinking of going next year, check out the Kendal’s Calling You Facebook group here.

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