News

1 MARCH 2024

BOF support Green Man Trust training programme for refugees & asylum seekers

We are over the moon to share that BOF are further supporting the Green Man Trust in 2024.

Green Man Trust delivers a number of projects across arts development, science engagement, training and community development. BOF’s support in 2024 will go towards our training project for refugees & asylum seekers in partnership with Oasis Cardiff. Oasis is a charity based in Cardiff and their mission is to help give a Warm Welsh Welcome to refugees & asylum seekers as they settle in their new home.

Thanks to the support of BOF, Green Man Trust will welcome 30 Oasis Cardiff clients to Green Man to do training on the festival stewards team. For many, this will be the first time they leave Cardiff. The group also run a food trailer and a workshop tent where they raise awareness about the work of Oasis in the community and the challenges faced by refugees asylum seekers in the UK.

The training project at Green Man focuses on increasing participants’ well-being and raising their aspirations. The experience helps them develop new skills and build confidence. It helps make the
process of integration easier for refugees and asylum seekers in Wales, with an element of fun which has proven an innovative way to achieve a profound impact.

It’s such an excellent experience for me for so many reasons, after all of the things I have experienced, this is something new and normal to experience. – Rahman, project participant 2022

We are enormously proud Patrons of the Green Man Trust, supporting this wonderful training programme for refugees and asylum seekers through the Trust is another way in which we can further give back to our local community. All the team at BOF are passionate, going the extra mile to engage and make an impact. Our hope is to amplify the amazing work we achieve in partnership with the Green Man Trust – truly making a difference and positively changing people’s lives. – Michael Parrish, Managing Director BOF

It’s inspiring to see the benefits of our training programme on refugees and asylum seekers last long after the festival is over. Training in front-of-house and customer care, alongside social development increases confidence, enables friendships to develop and builds much-needed feelings of acceptance within our society. In the words of a participant, “it makes me feel useful, and respected”. Green Man is the only music festival that offers this experience, and we can do this because it is an unusually safe festival, with a crew who are invested in the project and volunteer their time and experience to make it happen. All of us want to say a Big Thank You to BOF for helping us support this project and ‘spread the good stuff’ – Fiona Stewart, Chair Green Man Trust

25 FEBRUARY 2024

Green Man Trust Community Grant opens for 2024 applications

Celebrating 10 years, the Green Man Trust has opened applications for the 2024 Community Grant. Local community groups based in Powys have access to double the amount of grant funding increasing this year to £20,000.

In 2023 the Community Grant scheme supported seven local causes, each receiving a share of £10,000 from the Green Man Trust to support ongoing community work across Powys. From lifesaving equipment to biodiversity improvements, the Trust works to support projects which improve quality of life, promote inclusion and diversity, or help tackle loneliness.

In total, the Fund distributed £10,678.69 as follows:

£2,000 to the Crickhowell Volunteer Bureau for the purchase of canoes and expedition equipment for the physical activity section of the Duke of Edinburgh Award
£2,000 to The Windfall Centre, Llandrindod Wells towards the Filial Therapy family programme, covering the cost of support sessions for 2 children/families in need over 1 year
£2,000 to Friends of Church of St Tetti, Llandetty, Talybont on Usk to support clearance and maintenance of disused churchyard space with a view of making it an inviting and usable space for the community to run events and socials
£1,895 to Priory CIW School, Brecon to purchase a book vending machine and books for their ‘Re-ignite the love of reading’ project
£1,400 to Llangattock Community Woodlands for the purchase and installation of a new defibrillator
£883.69 to Llangattock Litter Pickers Group (LLP) for the purchase of a new CCTV system and powered battery mobile winch to prevent fly tipping and help with the cleaning efforts of the local woodland area
£500 for 3 years to Llangorse Community Toilets CIO to support ongoing running and maintenance costs

We would like to thank the Green Man Trust for their generosity in funding this defibrillator. We hope it will never be used but it gives us peace of mind to know that we have this bit of life-saving kit on site just in case.” – Jackie Charlton, Chair of Llangattock Community Woodlands

The children were really struggling to get back into reading when they returned to school as they were so used to working on digital devices, and we wanted a way to get them excited about books and reading again. The vending machine is an innovative way of building that excitement. They get to see what books are being displayed, what their friends are picking and wait their turn to get their own token and choose a book. So far it has worked a treat (…) The excitement and anticipation is palpable (…) and it has turned our children back into the bookworms they previously were, which is amazing to see. We are so grateful to the Green Man Trust for awarding us the grant to buy the machine, as it would have taken us years to raise the funds to afford something like this and the children love it so much. – Claire Pugh, Headteacher, Priory CIW School Brecon

The money we have received from Green Man Trust has been crucial in helping us launch the next phase of our plans, and in supporting us to push forward with work that is ultimately set to benefit us all as supporters of this beautiful, historical place of interest. – Jim McCulloch, founding member of Friends of Llandetty Church

The Green Man Trust extends the support of the Green Man festival to the wider community of Powys, where the annual event takes place every August. Over 12,000 people and 100 community projects have been supported since 2014, with an additional £16,000 raised to support vulnerable local people alongside the £10,000 donated in local grants in 2023 alone.

Creating great opportunities, wonderful experiences and seeing people enjoy them is a joyous thing and is at the beating heart of Green Man, the Trust was set up to develop this through charitable projects. All of the initiatives supported share the same ambitions and ethos of the festival. It is wonderful to see such amazing people deliver inspiring work and be able to support the brilliant community around us. Whether that be through funding vital therapy, life-saving equipment or expedition equipment for the younger generations to explore the world around them, these causes wholly deserve our continued support and we are honoured to play a part in the role they have each taken on to improve life for the local communities across Powys. – Fiona Stewart, Green Man Trust founder, said:

For more information on the funding available and how to apply visit our Community Grants page.

2 NOVEMBER 2023

WIN THIS SIGNED LIMITED EDITION GM23 POSTER

Roll Up, roll up! Gaze your eyes upon our charity prize draw for this incredible one-of-a-kind screen-printed Green Man 2023 poster.

This poster has been signed by none other than Spiritualized, Slow Dive, DEVO, Goat, Self Esteem, Young Fathers and First Aid Kit & designed by the brilliant UK Poster Association.

The prize draw is now open & will take place on the 4th December 2023. Each entry is £5 and the more you buy the better your chances of winning! Every penny goes straight into supporting the Green Man Trust’s charitable work.

The poster comes professionally framed and in a double accent mount, painted white wooden framed with UV protective acrylic.

ENTER THE DRAW HERE

Good luck, folks.

GMT x

1 JULY 2021

GREEN MAN SETS OUT £23m VISION TO BRING JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO POWYS

The Managing Director and owner of the company behind the Green Man Festival, Fiona Stewart, sets out her vision for Gilestone Farm to a meeting of community representatives.

The vision aims to help boost the Mid-Wales rural economy by providing jobs and opportunities for young people and support new and existing rural focussed businesses.

The emerging plans look to create a new sustainable rural enterprise that would generate £23m for the local economy, provide at least 38 new full-time jobs and support 300 local jobs through its supply chain.

The Gilestone Farm plan addresses five key issues for the local area:

Sustainable Farming: Continuing with the farm’s existing agricultural activities and developing regenerative farming practices that will have a positive impact on the environment.
Tourism: Boosting local tourism through enhancing the existing accommodation offer at Gilestone Farm by turning it into a green eco-retreat, with glamping and rented accommodation.
Rural enterprise: Supporting existing businesses to grow and creating new enterprises such as a brewery, bakery and baking school. They will form part of ‘full plate’ farming operation, using grains grown on the farm to make the produce, which will be sold to markets, local stockists, and at all events on the farm and at Green Man.
Young people: Providing apprentices and training opportunities for young people from across Powys. Creating a permanent home for Green Man Trust, the Festival’s charitable arm, to deliver positive change for young people in Powys.
Creative Hub: Help grow the creative industries across Mid-Wales by establishing a creative hub which will act as an anchor institute for existing businesses and start-ups.

The farm would not be used for the Green Man Festival or any other similar scale event.

Fiona Stewart said:

I am absolutely passionate about being able to use the success of the Green Man brand to help bring about
greater economic growth in Powys and Mid Wales and provide new opportunities for young people in particular.

Our vision is aligned with Powys Council, and the Welsh Government’s ambitions for bringing greater prosperity
to rural Mid Wales and I very much hope we can work together along with the local communities to realise this
opportunity.

The meeting, held on 17 March, was called by the Welsh Government and was attended by officials and elected representatives from Powys Council, Talybont on Usk Community Council, and the Brecon Beacons National Parks Authority