FOLLOWING the success of Hope Fest 2015 earlier in the year, Hope Fest is back with its Christmas edition – Hope Festivities. The event will take place on 4th December 2015 at District in the Baltic Triangle. Primarily a live music event – featuring the likes of Crisis’ resident Liverpool band (band members are Crisis service users), Sky Valley Mistress, Disgy, Western Promise, Jamie Deary, Tweeting Jesus, Black Seasons, Steve Thompson & The Incidents and LOTS more to be announced – the evening will be hosted by Bay TV presenter Lisa Simmons. There will also be Christmas activities such as a fancy dress competition, games and a raffle with lots of fabulous prizes donated by local businesses.
The entrance fee is just £10 – all proceeds will go toward helping the homeless – however organisers are strongly encouraging people to also bring along a Christmas gift for a homeless person. Items such as toiletry sets, hat & scarf sets, a new hoody, a lovely warm pair of socks for example.
Hope Fest 2015 raised approximately £1300 in cash during the weekend, plus a £5,000 donation from the mayor – totalling around £6,300. There were also approximately 600 Hope Packs (containing warm clothing, food and toiletries etc.) donated during the festival weekend – this was an alternative option to the usual monetary entrance fee.
Hope Fest CIC donated all of the Hope Pack items to local homeless shelters, such as the Whitechapel Centre and the Basement Advisory Centre as well as other centres and hostels in the city. Hope Fest CIC will be using around £1000 of the donated cash to buy new home starter kits for people coming out of homelessness. The rest will go toward funding Hope Fest Academy which is a training school for service users of The Whitechapel Centre & Crisis to train them in music performance and event/festival production, leading them to raised self-esteem, new skills and in turn shelter and employment.
Website: www.hopefest.org.uk
