A group of passionate young people at Network Ryde Youth Service have hosted their first-ever HELPFEST – a community event aimed at raising awareness of organisations that provide free help and support to those in need.
Held on Saturday 12th July, the event formed part of the group’s Social Action Project, bringing together local charities, community groups and support services who offer vital resources at no cost to the public. Visitors had the chance to meet those behind the services and discover how to access help when it is needed most.
More than 150 people attended HELPFEST, engaging with stalls, taking part in activities and building connections with service providers. Thanks to the generosity of attendees, £210.57 was raised through donations and a raffle, which will be shared between the organisations present.
The young people took charge of every aspect of the day – from planning and advertising to setting up and welcoming guests.
Kaiya, Youth Worker at Network Ryde, has said:
“I’m so proud of the young people for all the hard work, commitment and creativity they put into HELPFEST. They worked incredibly hard planning the event and this was clear on the day, they’ve made a real difference by connecting people in the community to support they may need.”
The event received overwhelmingly positive feedback from both attendees and stallholders, with praise for the group’s creativity, energy and commitment to making a difference. HELPFEST is part of Network Ryde’s wider Social Action programme, which empowers young people to identify local needs, plan meaningful projects and see their ideas come to life, building skills, confidence and community spirit.
Funding for the event was provided by Clarion Futures, the charitable foundation of Clarion Housing Group, as well as Places for People and Sovereign Network Group.
Additional support came from the #iwill Fund, made possible by a £66million joint investment from The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to help young people access high quality social action opportunities.
