PooFest 2011

PooFest raises over £4,000 for LATA Foundation water projects.

The rural Kent village of Pootings consists of just 26 houses and a phone box. The residents of Pootings have a long tradition of fundraising for good causes. Last year they inaugurated the Pootings Music Festival - the PooFest - and raised funds for a school in Nepal. This year for PooFest Number 2, they kindly nominated the LATA Foundation their charity of the year.

The PooFest took place on Sat 3 Sept and was attended by around 800 people of all ages. It was an enormous success. They put on face-painting and activities for children; there were stalls selling merchandise, cream cakes,  ice-creams, pizzas, curry dishes and burgers. The bar sold a choice of beers from the local Westerham Brewery, Pimms, wines and other fine refreshments. There was an excellent line-up of 12 acts which started with a 20 piece ukelele orchestra from Tunbridge Wells, and included the Standard Lamps and the well-received Pete Shoulder.  The Charlie Rivers Band closed proceedings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jill Forgham, vice-chair of the LATA Foundation and Claire Antell, one of our trustees, helped to man our stand at the festival distributing leaflets about our work, talking to people about our projects and about Latin America generally.

We also sold some dolls and table mats from the Threads of Peru weaving project we support. Two young girls who bought some dolls asked us to send a message to the weavers. Please see our report: From Peru to the PooFest

Our chairman, David Gilmour, was delighted to announce a new project at the event to raise funds for a water project in Nicaragua to install a pump to provide safe, clean drinking water to over 1,000 people living below the poverty line near Granada. Concluding his address to the festival, he said:

"With your support we will be able to help over 1,000 people in Nicaragua.....On behalf of them I would especially like to thank TJ Spurin and the fantastic organisers of PooFest. I am grateful to all the musicians and those who have been working so hard today in the various marquees and behind the scenes. I’d like to thank Claire [Antell] and Jill [Forgham] for all their work for the LATA Foundation and for their enthusiasm and I am particularly grateful to all of you for coming to the PooFest today and for your support for the  people whose lives will be improved as a result of your help. Thank you all very much."

The LATA Foundation will install the water pump in Nicaragua within the next couple of months. Not only that, but the PooFest has raised additional funds to help provide clean water in Mexico too. The LATA Foundation already has a good track record in Mexico, having constructed a water fountain in Puerto Vallarta earlier this year. It yields over a million glasses of water and is being used by 500 people every day.

"These are fantastic projects to support," said TJ Spurin, one of the organisers of the PooFest. "Many people at the festival talked to me about the importance of clean water, something that we all take for granted. I am really pleased that we have been able to help the LATA Foundation."   

Please see the 12 Sept 2011 press report from Focus on Travel News: 

 

In addition, a number of people at PooFest bought raffle tickets for a chance to win a luxury holiday in Argentina. This has provided additional funds for the Sonrisa dental clinics we are supporting, giving free treatment to disadvantaged children in Buenos Aires. By the end of this year they will have provided over 40,000 treatments to around 5,500 children. The LATA Foundation contribution accounts for around 10% of their annual income and provides thousands of treatments to hundreds of children. 

 

 

 

 

 

The PooFest has raised £4,108 for the LATA Foundation which is remarkable for a village of just 26 houses. It is a fantastic achievement and surpassed all expectations - our thanks to all those who attended and to all those who helped the Pootings Village Fundraisers.

 

For further information about the PooFest please see: www.poofest.co.uk.

Date added: 22 October 2011