Kendal Calling: Cancelled music festival raises thousands for charity

A music festival has raised thousands of pounds for charity, even though it did not go ahead due to coronavirus.

About 25,000 people were expected to attend Kendal Calling, staged every summer near Penrith, Cumbria.

Instead, it "brought the experience into the home", with a weekend of radio featuring live sessions, classic sets from previous years, and interviews.

Limited edition merchandise, such as T-shirts and posters, quickly sold out and boosted donations to £12,000.

This will be split between the North West Air Ambulance Service, Guide Dogs for the Blind, St John Ambulance, Alder Hey Children's Charity, and Hospice at Home.

Festival founder Andy Smith: "The donations we receive for our festival charities every summer make a huge difference to the important work they do.

"When we realised that this year's festival wasn't going to take place, we knew how important it was to find an alternative way to raise money for them.

"Kendal Calling Radio weekend became a celebration of the selfless volunteers in the north who work tirelessly and with few resources."

The four-day music and arts festival is due to return to Lowther Deer Park on 29 July 2021.

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