Update: The sum raised for Cherry Lodge Cancer Care by Summer Soulstice 9 on 27th June 2015 was a record-breaking £40,000. A big cheque will be handed to Cherry Lodge at the Soulstice Big Payback event at the Black Horse pub on 30th August (see the Summer Soulstice website for more information). Thank you in advance to all the Soulstice crew for their hard work and commitment.
Soulstice number nine was number one in terms of high temperature. Saturday 27th June 2015 was a truly breath-taking, beautiful day making this a most wonderful event. It does seem to get better every year and this is, in no small measure, thanks to the incredibly hard work throughout the year of the entire Soulstice crew. Everything has to be perfect on the day!
People had fun from the word go, enjoying a happy, care-free atmosphere with terrific music, people singing, dancing, eating and drinking, when, for a few hours, it was possible not to think about the horrors happening elsewhere in the world.
The Soulstice merchandise stall did a roaring trade. The highly original Cloud 9 logo was clearly very appealing. Two of our photographs (below) show a woman who bought a t-shirt with sleeves and then had it expertly tailored to turn it into a very becoming, bespoke, sleeveless vest! The Cherry Lodge stall also did well this year, selling Soulstice and other merchandise as well as raffle tickets.
At the request of the Soulstice crew, Cherry Lodge staff and volunteers at the event sported CL’s own distinctive blue polo shirts. Wearing them was a pleasure not a chore and as Cherry Lodge volunteers were positioned at the entrance to the car park to collect the £5 fee, our presence was very visible indeed.
Kirsty Mabb, Cherry Lodge’s Outreach Nurse, is now officially sponsored by Summer Soulstice and Kirsty was very proud to be wearing her special, lime green, Soulstice Nurse t-shirt, which is, after all, unique (see photograph, below).
The morning after saw many volunteers (CL’s and other early risers) help the Soulstice crew clean up what is a huge area, especially after the stage and the many large marquees have been dismantled.
A fantastic, totally memorable day for which, as always, our heartfelt thanks!
Visit the Summer Soulstice website for more information about the background, music and other entertainment at Cherry Lodge’s largest third-party fundraising event, held each year in memory of Andy Weekes.
Click on the small images below to see larger, complete photographs.
