A Winter Festival in Brightlingsea has raised over £3,000 for Mid and North Essex Mind.
WinterFest, aimed at providing solidarity and mutual support for those suffering from a mental health problem and raising awareness of the issues faced by 1 in 4 of the population, took place over two weeks in mid-February. There was a range of arts and music events and activities on offer for the local community to enjoy including live band performances, art workshops, well-being stalls, taster sessions and a popular ‘spoken word’ event.
Alix Sheppard, one of the organisers of WinterFest says “This is the third year we have delivered WinterFest and we were overwhelmed by the support and talents of the community. There were 16 separate events with a team of 12 key volunteers- and over 200 performers! Over the course of the event, attendance exceeded 2000 people showing the willingness of this small community to get involved with mental health. We will be running several events through the year and if people wish to find out more, they can visit our website www.brightlingseawinterfest.co.uk”
Jenny MacPherson, Community Partnerships Fundraiser at Mid and North Essex Mind, commented: “It was a really fantastic event this year and it was lovely to see so many people in the community come together to show their support for those with mental health problems. The £3,000 raised from the event will help us to continue to provide the much-needed services in the community – a huge thank you to everyone involved in making this event a success.”