The organisers of the Winter Droving, Penrith and the Eden Valley's much-loved celebration, are calling out for public support to ensure the Drovings future.
This year the Winter Droving will be entering its 13th year, and the event that welcomes in the darker months with a free town festival of music, masquerade and magic is seeking support from the tens of thousands of people that attend each year to secure it's future.
To date, the festival has seen over 235 Cumbrian musicians and performers grace the stages and streets of Penrith, and over the years enhanced the local economy by a whopping £12 million since it started in 2012. The feedback from visitors has been overwhelmingly positive, saying the Winter Droving is 'the highlight of the year for Penrith', a 'celebration of rural life' and 'one of the best festival events in Cumbria'.
"We want to keep the Droving happening in Penrith, we love it as much as everyone does, but every year the costs go up, partly due to the growing scale of it due to it's success, and partly due to the fact that everything just costs more... so we have come up with some ways that we think people might like to help to keep it going", said the Droving's Director Adrian Lochhead, "the fact is that unless we do something we won't be able to continue indefinitely, this year we are currently facing a shortage of £15000, but we feel sure that we can tackle that with the public's help".
The Winter Droving attracts an annual crowd of around 25,000 people to the market town of Penrith boosting the local economy by around £2 million. It also provides an event that local people are proud to be a part of, not just as visitors but as participants in the famous torch-lit procession. The event supports local charities and community groups via the free market stalls which form part of the wider market full of beautiful gifts, delicious food offerings and the occasional performer nestled in amongst them to entertain.
With at least 36 UK festivals announcing postponement, cancellation or closure in 2024 due to spiralling costs according to the Association of Independent Festivals, the Winter Droving's organisers Eden Arts are appealing to the tens of thousands of visitors that visit annually to donate as part of their campaign with The Big Give to ensure the future of the event.
A number of local businesses generously support Eden Arts and the Winter Droving through sponsorship, in particular the Leo Group, theidol.com, AST Signs and the Penrith Chamber of Trade and Commerce have been major supporters over the years. Public funding also comes from Arts Council England, Westmorland and Furness Council, Penrith BID, Penrith Lottery and Penrith Town Council. However, this does not cover the ever increasing costs and since 2019 Eden Arts have been making a loss on the event that is now threatening the long term future. The yearly loss has been growing and now the organisers are appealing for help.
So this year Eden Arts have the opportunity to meet the shortfall by using the platform 'Big Give'. They are keen to harness the power of the people, both in Penrith and those coming from further afield, to ensure that 2024 is not the last year of the Droving.
The Big Give is an established platform for raising money where pledgers (local businesses and donors) are secured to match the generous donations of the public. This year, the Winter Droving's star pledgers for the Big Give are once again Leo Group, theidol,com, The Penrith Chamber of Trade and Commerce, and AST Signs. They have kindly pledged £8000 in total to the campaign, alongside additional sponsorship of the event, and Eden Arts must raise an additional £8000 from the public to reach their goal and release the pledged funds.
Adrian Lochhead said: "If every visitor from last year were to donate just £1 we would smash this target! But we understand not everyone will be able to do so. We take pride in the fact the Winter Droving is accessible to absolutely everyone and we want to keep it that way. So, if you are able to contribute even a small amount it means we can keep this treasured event going - and if you can't please share our campaign as much as you can!''
Eden Arts are appealing to local businesses, individuals and other organisations to share the campaign for a limited 2 weeks period when they will be open for donations. There are other ways of showing your support for the Winter Droving including a straightforward donation, or even by playing the Winter Droving Lottery. Part of the Penrith Lottery, not only will you be supporting the Winter Droving by buying your ticket but also have the chance of winning up to £25K. You can play the Winter Droving Lottery by visiting penrithlottery.com/support/the-winter-droving
Kevin Beaty, Eden Arts Chair and former leader of Eden District Council said
'The Winter Droving is one of the many things that make Penrith unique alongside providing a vital Winter boost to the local economy. It would be a huge loss to the town if the Winter Droving didn't take place. I am sure with the support of the people we can pull together to ensure the future of the event'.
Then select "Add to Home Screen"
