Busfest Charity Auction
Located at the Dance Stage Area (main street) Saturday 14:00
The Busfest community is passionate about helping others and using our time and resources to promote and donate to charities whenever and wherever we can. Every year at Busfest we support several charities very close to our hearts, both through our charity auction and having several stands at our event dedicated to them.
If you are attending our event either as a trader or day/weekend visitor we encourage you to attend the Charity Auction held at 2pm on Main Street by the Dance Stage Area (near to information) and help in whatever small way to give to those less fortunate. Card machines will be available for those who have already spent their cash at the trade stalls.
For 2025 we have chosen two new charities to support : Macmillan Cancer Research, Alzheimer’s Society & Guide Dogs
SoXsighted will be performing outside the Information Centre on Saturday
11:00-11:20
&
11:40-12:00
They will be raising money for Guide Dogs for the blind
How do I get involved?
If you are a trader attending the event we would be so grateful if you would kindly donate any item/s you wish to the charity auction to be auctioned off on Saturday.
If you are a camping/day visitor we would love for you to attend the auction and either participate or just donate whatever you wish to our chosen charity. We also welcome donations to the charity auction from anyone attending so please don’t hesitate to get in touch, these can be brought to Information.
Who are Macmillan Cancer Support?
Macmillan has spent more than 100 years helping people living with cancer. From the moment someone is diagnosed with cancer, they’re there with all the information, support and guidance they need, to help everyone with cancer live life as fully as they can.
Supporting Macmillan Cancer Support was a no brainer for us at Busfest this year, as some of you may know we quite suddenly lost our head of Security Paul Carter to cancer at the start of 2025. After his diagnosis it was quite a rapid decline and Macmillan was on hand throughout supporting him & his family. Paul Carter was a huge part of our team here at Busfest and a deep hole has been left knowing he won’t be with us anymore putting out (metephical) fires but also causing shenanigans whilst off duty.
Who are Alzheimer’s Society?
At Alzheimer’s Society they’re working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives. They do this by giving help to those living with dementia today, and providing hope for the future. It is rare you’ll find someone who hasn’t had some form of experience of a loved one suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia, we at Busfest are no different and see how important it is to help support this charity in their work supporting those affected by it and research into helping treat this disease.
“As a Society, we are made up of people with dementia, carers, trusted experts, campaigners, researchers and clinicians. We are the UK’s largest collective force of people with unparalleled knowledge and over 40 years of experience addressing the biggest challenges facing people living with dementia.”
Will Guide Dogs be at Busfest again this year?
Of course! The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association have been regular attendees at Busfest for a number of years and we’re very pleased to say we have raised enough money for not one, not two, but THREE guide dogs as of 2025- Buster, Malvern, & Alpha.
Almost two million people in the UK are living with sight loss that has a significant impact on their daily lives. By 2050, there could be nearly four million. When someone loses their sight – Guide Dogs is here to make sure they don’t lose their freedom as well.
SoXsighted will be with us again this year performing outside the Information Centre 11:00 – 12:00 on Saturday along with some Guide Dogs. SoXsignted are a morris dancer group comprised of people who are visually impaired and they put on a wonderful performance, we encourage you all to watch them perform and if you have some spare change for their buckets we’ll get even closer to funding a third guide dog. They will also have a trade stand at the event where they will have various items such as calendars for sale so if you miss their performance please feel free to pay them a visit.
We rely on donations from the public to keep our life-changing services running.
In 2016, less than 1% of our income came from government funding.
What money can buy
• £5 could support a working guide dog for a day
• £25 could buy a white guide dog harness
• £140 could buy a Starter Kit for a new guide dog owner
Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604). Also operating in Northern Ireland. A company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales company number 2400969. Isle of Man company number 4694F. Registered office: 3rd Floor, Bronze Building, The Forge, 105 Sumner Street, London, SE1 9HZ. VAT no: 668265007
Alzheimer’s Society is a registered charity in England and Wales (296645) and the Isle of Man (1128). A company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales company number 2115499. Isle of Man company number 5730F. Registered office: 43-44 Crutched Friars, London EC3N 2AE.
Guide Dogs is a working name of The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.
Registered Office: Hillfields, Burghfield Common, Reading, Berkshire RG7 3YG. A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (291646) and a charity registered in England and Wales (209617) and Scotland (SC038979) for the Blind Association.