Fundraising drive to secure the future of south Shropshire festival

Organisers of Audio Farm, which has been running since 2013 but came to Hopton Court in Hopton Wafers for the first time this year, had announced the event would be their last due to debt it had built up over the last few years.

But after the success of their first Shropshire festival, attended by 1,800 people, they decided to start a crowd funding campaign to allow it to return.

This year's festival made a loss of £20,000, which the team needs to repay over the coming months to secure its future. A crowd funding target has been set at £10,000 – with more than £2,600 raised so far – while it is hoped the rest will come from other fundraisers.

Supporters have been promised that if this target is met, Audio Farm or its spin-off One Tribe Festival will be held in 2020, after a fallow year next year. It will then turn its attention to paying off the £38,000 debt carried forward from One Tribe 2017.

Ste Chesters, one of the directors, said: "The festival went really well, many locals came and loved it. The response was great and we do wish to return.

"The crowd funder is essential in raising funds for the next festival. We are charity fundraiser festival with no sponsors and no corporate backing. We are a roots festival. Please donate and help us reach us reach our target.

"This will secure the future, and give us platform to make profits for charity from 2020 onwards."

Donations

This year's loss has been put down to volunteers not fulfilling their commitments, despite being given free tickets, and people finding ways to enter the festival without paying.

Because of this, organisers are urging anyone who either broke in or did not honour their volunteer roles to donate the £100 they would otherwise have paid for a ticket.

The non-profit festival raises funds for the Green Paw Project, and has handed over £15,000 in the last three years thanks to donations and profits from one-off events.

From 2022 onwards, it hopes the main festival will be £50,000 in profit each year to be donated to the charity, which helps vulnerable animals in third world countries.

The organisers said in a statement: "It's hard to describe Audio Farm Festival 2018, but if we could say one word it would be 'magic'.

"As a collective tribe, we believe we have created something very special and unique in an industry that is being consumed by the corporations.

"So thank you to the crowd, the crew, the performers, the music artists, the music, the healers, the children and everyone who contributed with time or buying a ticket. Thank you deeply.

"Without you guys Audio Farm events are impossible and if this is our last event, then we have bowed out on a truly exceptional note."

For more information about the crowdfunding campaign click here.