Bestival Urges Its Attendees to Donate Camping Tents to Refugees

Article by: Laura Mason|@masonlazarus

Wed September 09, 2015 | 00:00 AM


You know the chaotic scene after a few days of festival fun: empty beer cans everywhere, dirt-covered shoes and clothes, mussed up sleeping bags, missing flashlights, half-sagging tents – basically a trail of destruction signifying a weekend very well spent. Of course, there's also the overwhelming feeling of not wanting to deal with any of it, the intense wish that it would all just vaporize and you could just head home with your hands clean.

Well, those going to Bestival in the UK this week may be able to indulge in that. According to The Telegraph, the fest's organizers are now urging people to donate unwanted camping equipment to aid the refugee crisis happening just across the water from its Isle of Wight site in Calais.

Bestival 2014 Dan Dennison Bags

Photo by: Dan Dennison

As the world's been hearing lately, the refugee crisis coming out of countries like Syria, Eritrea, Sudan and Afghanistan is spreading across Europe, and many of those refugees (approximately 3,000) are localized at the French port of Calais in many makeshift camps known as The Jungle, where people live without proper washing facilities or electricity. Needless to say, donated tents would help their daily plight in a big way.

There will be drop-off points for campers to leave their camping supplies, if they're still in good condition, when the festival – the UK's last major music festival of the season – finishes on September 14. Bestival has worked with charities to donate unwanted camping supplies for the past decade.

Hopefully this small favor on behalf of UK festies can ease the suffering of the many who continue to suffer and live without homes during this ongoing refugee crisis.

Bestival 2014 Carolina Faruolo Tents

Photo by: Carolina Faruolo