I’m still catching up on blogging so despite the fact we are half way through August I’m still blogging about June!

This year was the first year for ages that none of us was working at the Isle of Wight Festival some of us are usually volunteering for Gift To Nature, so this year we spent the whole time at church where we have our own fringe festival.

We do free tea, cake, hot dogs

and most importantly of all phone charging and free wi-fi.

We also do some entertainment of our own too.

We also gave out lots of God Loves Me wrist bands (we are sometimes known as the God Loves You church because of our sign outside that people can have their name added to) and had a graffiti wall.

I love festival weekend at church because to my mind it’s what we should be about – loving people without strings.

 For many people we are just a chance to get a freebie and that’s fine but for many we are more than that. For exhausted festival workers we can be a place they can have a chat and a cuppa away from work stress, for those who’ve had their hours cut we can be a place to moan about it and to get something free to eat and drink that they can now ill afford, we have dealt with distraught people who have lost tickets etc. and managed to print them off for them with little stress and no cost, we have provided a listening ear and a smile along with a cuppa and a chance to charge up a phone. We have been a home from home for people who have no church connection but have come back everyday of the festival because they felt welcomed and loved – and so much more.

Festival weekend is one of the reasons I love my church.