Forties festival committee launches Ukraine fund

Organisers of the Woodhall Spa 1940s Festival pledged to donate a proportion of the income from their 2022 event to aid Ukrainians who were staying or settling in Woodhall Spa following the outbreak of war in February.

After the success of the July festival, which saw the highest ever turnout amid very high temperatures, the team of volunteers who run the event has now been able to allocate £5,000 from their wider village grant fund, and the new Ukrainian Welfare & Education Fund is now accepting applications from refugees.

These grants can cover wellbeing activities such as gym membership at Jubilee Park, English lessons, school books, travel for education, and other health and learning opportunities.

Andrew Hunter, chairman of the festival organising committee, said: “We were very upset by the scenes coming in from Ukraine in early 2022, and when we found that a number of refugees would be heading to the safety of our village, we wanted to help.

"The best way we can do that is to allocate some of the income from this year’s event to practically support them as they seek to build a new life here. We consulted with some families in the village who are hosting refugees and they told us what was most needed. Applications are already coming in and we really look forward to helping our new neighbours.”

Applying for support via the grant is simple. Simply fill in the form here: https://woodhall-spa-40s-festival.com/ukraine-support-fund/

This fund is ringfenced for Ukrainian refugees only, however the festival committee run a wider Village Grant scheme to assist with “good causes” within the parish of Woodhall Spa, which has paid for schemes including a defibrillator at St Peter’s Hall and donations to the local Food Bank.

Any village group that needs help for a specific cause should apply to the Festival at https://woodhall-spa-40s-festival.com/local-good-cause-apply-for-a-grant-from-us/.

The Woodhall Spa 1940s Festival has also announced the dates for the 40s Festival for the next three years due to demand for accommodation, which are July 8 to 9 2023, July 19 to 20 2024 and July 19 to 20 2025.