KENFEST, Kenilworth's beer and music festival, has reached a major fundraising milestone, with more than £40,000 donated to The Myton Hospices since the event was first launched in 2022. Watch the film CLICK HERE
The latest contribution follows another highly successful year for the volunteer-led festival, with £17,342.21 raised for The Myton Hospices this year.
Held annually at Kenilworth Rugby Club, KENFEST has grown from a local community event into one of the region's most successful volunteer-led fundraising festivals, bringing together live music, quality food and drink, family entertainment and community spirit, all in support of a vital local cause.
Festival Curator Jai Purewal said:
"We are delighted to have once again raised the bar with this year's charitable donation. Sadly, you don't have to look very far to find a family that has benefited from the amazing services provided by The Myton Hospices, which is why it makes perfect sense for them to be our principle charity partner.
We would like to thank our amazing festivalgoers, sponsors, volunteers, cyclists, suppliers and performers. Raising £17,342.21 this year and more than £40,000 since 2022 is a fantastic achievement, and one that belongs to all of us."
A significant contribution towards this year's fundraising total came from the KENFEST Bike Ride, which returned for its second year and continues to establish itself as an important part of the KENFEST fundraising programme. Despite being only in its second year, the event attracted more than 60 riders, who completed the circular route from the Rugby Club to Napton Cidery, raising valuable funds.
"The growth of the KENFEST Bike Ride has been particularly pleasing," added Purewal. "What started as a new fundraising idea has quickly become a key part of our charitable efforts and demonstrates the boundless enthusiasm and generosity of those in our community."
On receiving the donation, Ruth Freeman, CEO of The Myton Hospices, said:
"On behalf of everyone at The Myton Hospices, I would like to thank the organisers, volunteers, riders, sponsors and festivalgoers who helped make KENFEST such a success. Raising over £17,000 is a fantastic achievement and will make a real difference to the patients and families we support every day."
“It costs over £15 million every year to provide our services free of charge to our patients and their loved ones. As a charity, with less than 20% of our funding coming from the NHS, we must raise more than £12 million this year,” added Freeman. “Donations like this help us continue supporting people living with life-limiting illnesses and their families, ensuring they receive compassionate care and support when they need it most. We are incredibly grateful to the entire KENFEST community for their continued support."
The festival is organised and delivered entirely by volunteers and supported by a growing network of local businesses and community partners who share its commitment to giving back.
Organisers are already looking ahead to KENFEST 2027, with plans to continue growing both the festival and the KENFEST Bike Ride to further increase their charitable impact. For more information visit kenfest.co.uk or contact hello@kenfest.co.uk.
