WITH tickets for next year's Boomtown Fair set to go on sale next month organisers of the Hampshire festival have revealed the 2017 event raised a record breaking £116,303 for charity.

And out of that £32,000.72 will go directly to charities and projects in the local area.

The 60,000 capacity event was also hailed a success by the Cabinet Office for its positive contribution to the region’s wider local economy who took to Twitter to show their support.

Boomtown made Matterley Estate near Winchester its home in 2011 and over the years has worked with and donated to numerous local and national charities. This year it expanded its charity networks even further, teaming up with a record breaking number of charities including local organisations: Street Reach, Hampshire Air Ambulance, Trinity Winchester, Naomi House, and the South Downs National Park Trust, among others.

The festival’s main charity partner for 2017 was Winchester based youth outreach organisation, Street Reach. Working directly with vulnerable and disadvantaged youth in Winchester, Street Reach will receive £8,702. This will help fund the weekly outreach sessions, youth club nights, drop-in projects and trips that are offered to young people in deprived Winchester communities.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance will receive a donation of £8,148 to support their vital services in the area.

For the second year running the guestlist donations collected at the entrance gates were supplemented by Boomtown to raise £10,000 for the five parishes that border the festival site.

Leading up to the festival organisers worked on a number of outreach projects in the Winchester area including Naomi’s House, Trinity Winchester, and Cheriton Primary School.

And this year Boomtown included the introduction of the first ever Hampshire Farmers’ Market, putting local food traders into the spotlight.

The South Downs National Park Trust ran forest school sessions teaching youngsters about the local wildlife that can be found within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that is the SDNP.

The Rose Road Association, based in Southampton, were also in attendance, raising awareness on the work they do to ensure disability is not a barrier. They collected £1,020.72.

Catch-22 Hampshire 24/7 Service who deliver targeted and specialist substance misuse provision for young people across Hampshire benefited from a donation of £130.00 from ‘Catering & Leisure Supplies’ in Southampton in partnership with Boomtown. This donation was raised from the direct recycling of nitrous oxide canisters that were confiscated or handed in during the recent Festival.

Now Boomtown organisers are looking for their main local charity partner for 2018. Any Hampshire based charities would like to apply, or residents would like to make a suggestion please contact: local_community@boomtownfair.co.uk.

*Boomtown Chapter 10: ‘The Machine Cannot Be Stopped’ will return to the Matterley Estate 9 – 12 August 2018. Tickets go on sale at 7pm on Wednesday November 1 via www.boomtownfair.co.uk