Generous festivalgoers helped raise more than £12,000 for Willow at this year’s Folk by the Oak spectacular in Hatfield Park.
The all-day music festival returned to the grounds of Hertfordshire stately home Hatfield House on Sunday, July 21.
Willow, the Welwyn Hatfield-based national charity set up by former Arsenal goalkeeper Bob Wilson and late wife Megs following the death of their daughter Anna, is the charity partner of FBTO.
Festival organisers have now confirmed the amount raised for the event’s “wonderful charity partner”, which is based in Fretherne Road, Welwyn Garden City.
As well as enjoying a day of back-to-back live music, dancing and festival fun, the Hatfield audience dug deep to show their support for Willow, raising more than £12,000 to support them in providing special days for seriously ill young adults.
Festival director Caroline Slough said: “We are utterly thrilled to announce that our wonderful audience have once again helped us to raise a staggering amount for our charity partner, Willow Foundation.
“£12,384.41 was raised through their generous donations at the festival and our 50p per ticket contribution, taking our new cumulative total to £126,657.96 and providing vital funds to allow Willow to offer more life-enhancing special days to those who really need them.”
Caroline added: “We love working with the brilliant Willow volunteer team and will be welcoming them back to Folk by the Oak when we return to Hatfield Park on 20 July 2025!”
An estimated 7,500-strong audience of music lovers and fun-seeking families packed up a picnic and headed to Folk by the Oak this year.
What A Beautiful Day band Levellers headlined the Main Stage, topping off a line-up that included superb Watford indie-folk band The Staves, kora master Seckou Keita with his new collaboration 'Homeland Band', the exceptional Boston-based Darlingside, award-winning trio The Young’uns, and enthralling opening band The Furrow Collective.
On the smaller Acorn Stage, Essex festival favourite Beans on Toast gave a memorable, humorous and rousing finale set.
He followed a superb line-up of bands including the funky all-female Scottish band Heisk, accomplished roots multi-instrumentalist Cahalen Morrison, and Lucy Farrell, one of England’s foremost folk artists.
The festival had also expanded its fun-packed family area to including inspiring new arts, crafts and activities, including a Ceilidh that was so popular the festival might need to book a bigger tent next year!
Many of the family and craft activities were free of charge and, though rarely permitted in the festival world, Folk by the Oak invited the audience to bring their own picnics and drinks into the arena, making the event excellent value for money for music lovers and families alike.
Caroline Slough added: “Sometimes the planets align to make our festival extra special! This year the weather was so kind to us, the perfect summer’s day, and to add to that we had the most perfect friendly, smiley audience who made the vibe so joyful.
“Pearce Hire, our production company, were superb this year and the music sounded better than ever on both stages.
“Our Family Area was as buzzing as it has ever been and our first ever Ceilidh was bursting out of The Stretch Out Tent it was so popular!
“To bring people a wonderful day is the reason we do this, so much effort, care and thought goes into every detail so that when we see such a happy field of lovely people enjoying themselves it brings an enormous sense of satisfaction to the whole team.
"And of course, rounding off all that hard work by dancing wildly to a stand-out headline set by Levellers was the best way to celebrate!”
Folk by the Oak will return to Hatfield Park on Sunday, July 20, 2025, once again supporting Willow.
The festival expects to start making FBTO 2025 line-up announcements in the autumn. To be the first to hear when bands are announced you can subscribe for updates at www.folkbytheoak.com.
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