Eco Festival 2023 - Colchester

Aim

We are raising money to put on Colchester Eco Festival in 2023: A festival with activities to help people choose Eco lives

We are raising money to put on the third Colchester Eco Festival.

The first two were a tremendous success attracting over 3500 visitors in 2021 and over 4500 visitors last year.

We wish to continue the success of the previous 2 years. With over 70 stalls showcasing local traders and environmental groups and projects. Including, vegan and vegetarian food and drink stalls, a Babyzone, Children's Zone, a Sustainable Transport Zone and try out area and a health and wellbeing tent. To attract the general public and persuade them to stay for the day we will once again have live music and dance performers throughout the day. 

Who are we?

We are en-form: a registered environment charity based in Colchester. We run a number of environment projects and help other people in our community to set up their own environment projects. The Eco -Festival is one of these Community Projects. Find out more about us on Facebook or our websites en-form.org.uk and ecocolchester.org.uk.

Why are we setting up this project?

In 2019 a group of 20 individuals from the local Community approached us and asked us to assist them to put on Colchester's first Eco Festival: The festival was delayed due to Covid, but happened in September 2021, and exceeded all expectations. Last years second festival was even bigger and more successful.

The event encompassed many different activities all designed to draw the attention of the general public, including the harder-to-reach parts of the community, to the benefits of more sustainable ways of living.

Activities included were:

• Over 90 environmentally themed stalls including local environment groups showcasing their projects and local businesses offering sustainable products and services as well as statutory organisations such as local councils providing information on all areas of the environment.
• A children's zone, with a range of environment themed activities and performances including recycled material art projects and magician to keep them entertained for the day.
• Environmentally themed local artists, music, theatrical and dance acts
• An E-Cargo bike demonstration area
• An electric car and bike show including demonstration and try out areas
• A sustainable transport area providing safe cycling tuition, Dr. Bike, free bike fixing, and free security tagging
• Health and wellbeing tent
• Clothing swap run by Colchester Frock Swap.

The first festival was held in 2021 and attracted over 70 stalls and 3500 people. Last year we attracted over 90 stalls and over 4500 visitors exceeding all expectations

This success involved a lot of hard work. Over 50 volunteers contributed their time but even so, it cost over £15,000 to put on.

However, the festival presented an ideal opportunity for local environment groups, traders and businesses to promote their sustainable products and services to a lot of people at one key event.

What do we need the money for?

As stated above it costs us over £15,000 to put on a festival of this size and help people to move to a more sustainable lifestyle.

This funding is to raise enough money to enable us to:

• continue to put on the biggest eco festival in the area
• offer the same wide range of stalls and advice covering the main environmental areas of wildlife and biodiversity, transport, waste and recycling, water, energy and food.
• enable 4500 visitors to implement sustainable living ideas into their everyday lives.

What if we don't raise enough money to put on the Eco Festival in 2023?

The Eco-Festival has proven itself to be something that a great many people wanted, something that has become a regular and important part of Colchester's cultural life, and be a model for festivals elsewhere. Luckily we have already managed to raise the majority of funds we need to put the festival on so it will go ahead. However, we are a bit short of our target and don't want to reduce what we have planned for the festival. Costs continue to rise and it is more expensive to run than last year.

Meet the team

Finally, none of this would have been possible without our more than 50 volunteers and in particular the 20 people on the Eco Festival committee who came up with the idea in the first place. A few of them can be seen in the photo below.

And a few photos from the day

What do our visitors say?

Many of our stallholders said they had had their busiest day ever. Including the caterers.

It was great to see the whole community having fun as well, including one little girl who said ''this has been the best day ever''.

And here are what visitors said on our post festival 2022 survey:

‘There was a good mix of stalls both for selling and for information. I liked that exhibitors were from the local community, it made it very relevant.’ 

‘An absolutely amazing and well organised event’ 

‘I can't think what else to add, for me was beautiful, I saw people having fun children running and playing’

‘Top marks. I do a lot of events and I couldn't think of a single bit of constructive criticism. It was superb. A great mix of stalls, lovely staff, just great. Thank you’

‘There was a lovely vibe about it. There was lots for kids to do and the music was great’.

‘I loved seeing so many people from the local community. It was well organised. I can’t think of anything else to suggest’. 

‘Really good mix of stalls and great events for kids, making it a great family-friendly festival’

‘I thought last year was amazing, well organised, great entertainment and a diverse mix of stalls but this year they knocked it out of the park, no pun intended!! Well done for putting on a superb event, hats off to all those involved, your hard work and dedication paid dividends’ 

‘I think it’s a great festival because it is free, it is diverse, it is relaxed, it is creative! We loved the free bike rides, the music, the food, place to top up your water bottle. Plus, the frock swap’ 

Find out more about the Eco Festival at eco-festival.org

This project successfully funded on 22nd May 2023