THE country’s first ever summer camping festival devoted entirely to families is being launched in the Staffordshire Moorlands.
The Just So Festival, being held at Barnswood Scout Camp, near Leek, is the brainchild of two couples who have spent years visiting traditional festivals with their children.
After years of finding much of the entertainment to be off-limits, Sarah Bird and her husband Geoff and Rowan Hoban and her husband John decided to set up their own family-orientated camping weekend in 65 acres of unspoilt woodland.
Sarah lives in Macclesfield with Geoff and their three girls Martha, 11, Matilda, seven, and three-year-old Esther.
She told Your Leek Paper that she hoped the festival would have something for everyone.
She said: “We’ve been regulars on the festival scene for many years, but I end up spending most of the time wondering what there is to do with the kids.
“We just put our heads together and thought: why couldn’t we put on our own festival specifically aimed at families? “Although we’re from Macclesfield we spend a lot of time in Staffordshire, particularly the Moorlands, which is so beautiful.
“We’ve been looking for a venue for ages, but when we visited Barnswood we just couldn’t believe how beautiful it was, it’s a magical place and will be the perfect venue.” The festival will be based around 10 “glades” with activities for everyone, including a sports glade, a wild things glade (supported by the RSPB and wildlife trusts), an artificial beach glade and a “brush stokes” glade for the artistic visitors.
Highlights from the programme will include a visit from the Royal Armouries team with their ‘Never Mind the Pollocks’ action-art event, Parkour training sessions from some of the UK’s top free-runners, the Gruffalo taking a stroll through deep dark Barnswood, and up-and-coming band the Crookes.
Sarah said: “We hope they’ll be something for everyone with things on the go all the time for children and their parents.
“For me, the highlight will be the Moomin Party, celebrating 65 years of the Moomins with help from publishers Puffin, which is producing a new range of preschool and picture books.” Sarah said the philosophy of the festival was to be sustainable and organic.
She said: “In setting up the festival we are aware of the impact that we have on the local and global environment and are working hard to ensure that we promote positive solutions to environmental problems.
“We want the festival to be as sustainable as possible, with as little waste as possible.
“We aim to have high-quality locally based caterers. Where possible they will offer food that is organic, free range or fair trade.”
The festival is taking place from August 20 to 22. To book tickets or for more information visit www.justsofestival.org.uk.