New faces take over ballooning at top Oswestry festival

Council, and Nightingale House Hospice, welcomes a new ballooning team, Elevate Flights, to oversee the balloon operations for the popular event.

For seven years, Lee Hooper, Lorna Hankey, and the rest of their team at Spirit Operations have played a significant role in the success of Oswestry Balloon Carnival. Lee and Lorna will be

stepping down from Oswestry Balloon Carnival due to work commitments.

Thanking Spirit Operations for their contributions over the years, Laura Parry, Director of Income Generation at Nightingale House Hospice, explained, “On behalf of the team at Nightingale House Hospice, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Spirit Operations for its involvement in establishing and developing the Oswestry Balloon Carnival over the past seven years

which has raised over £140,000 for patient care.”

“To continue the tradition at the event, we are happy to have Elevate Balloon Flights on board to oversee the balloon operations. This will enable visitors to continue enjoying the magnificent spectacle created by the hot air balloons.”

Director of Elevate Balloon Flights, Luis Arias Eduardo, discussed their partnership with Nightingale House Hospice to oversee the hot air balloon operations at the popular event.

“We have flown at the carnival every year and have loved having a local event here in Oswestry. The event has been great for the town, who are always enthusiastic to see us, and landowners are very welcoming.”

“Rainbow Balloon team members based in Oswestry have all stepped forward to support us in conjunction with the team at Elevate Balloon Flights, who hope to be offering flights to the public

from the event. Here’s to a great event!”

Taking place on the August 17 and 18 at Cae Glas Park, Oswestry Balloon Carnival is set to have a large array of hot air balloons with launches throughout the weekend, weather permitting,

along with family fun activities, entertainment, and refreshments.

Elise Jackson, Events and Campaigns Manager at Nightingale House Hospice, said: “We are thrilled to unveil our exciting plans for the 2024 event. Get ready for

breathtaking balloon displays, thrilling entertainment, and unforgettable experiences for all the family.2