Why wasn’t I allowed to fund-raise at festival? (From Worcester News)

Why wasn’t I allowed to fund-raise at festival?

11:50pm Sunday 5th September 2010 in

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A FUND-RAISER has hit out at organisers of last weekend’s Upton-upon-Severn music festival, saying he was refused entry because he wanted to support the “wrong charity”.

Clint Varndall, a full-time fund-raiser for Afghan Heroes, wanted to sell wristbands and merchandise at the Upton 2010 Festival at Fish Meadow last Saturday and Sunday.

After acquiring a street trading licence, Mr Varndall, aged 49, of Firlea, Upton, says he tried to make contact with organisers, but his calls were not returned.

He said: “On the Friday I went down and introduced myself and spoke to someone at the site. I went back on Saturday morning and I was told in no uncertain terms to get off the site. I was never given the chance to speak to the main organiser and nor was my area co-ordinator.

“I was told that the festival was there to raise money for Help for Heroes and Mencap and that was that. I think it is absolutely disgusting that I was not allowed to raise money for a good cause in my own town. Surely my being there would not have been any inconvenience or had any impact on the festival?”

Afghan Heroes regional co-ordinator Anne Cole said she could not understand why Mr Varndall had been refused entry. She said: “He would not have been causing any problems for anyone. I think we will be getting in touch with those involved to try to work together to ensure this does not happen again.”

Upton 2010 organiser Steve Cass said he did not know anything about Mr Varndall’s complaint. He said: “It is only one man and I’ve already had 40 e-mails thanking me for a great event. We were very pleased with the festival.”

Afghan Heroes is dedicated to the welfare of those directly involved in the conflict. The charity was set up by a group of mothers including Bromyard’s Lucy Aldridge, whose son William is the youngest British soldier to lose his life in the war – he turned 18 six weeks before his death.

Mr Varndall recently completed a 119-mile cycle ride around Upton – one mile for every British soldier who fell in Afghanistan last year – in support of the cause.

After being refused entry to the festival he instead attended a car boot sale on Upton playing fields on Bank Holiday Monday and raised “a great deal of money”.