Rock for Llamau Festival in Crumlin raises £6,000 for Llamau
Housed this year at The Patriot in Crumlin, the line-up for the whopping three-day event on the last weekend in May featured 15 of the best bands and artists that South Wales has to offer.
Rock for Llamau was first organised by Gina Hurley in 2016 to gather funds to help some of the most vulnerable people in Wales. Since then, a total of seven live music and auction events have been held, raising thousands of pounds in aid of Wales's leading homelessness charity.
With the festival now in its eighth year and with help from its new home, The Patriot, the event has grown to become a three-day ordeal for the first time, with every band on the line-up donating their time to play for audiences and help raise funds for a worthy cause.
'I believe no one, especially young people, should be homeless,' said Ms Hurley, 'Some of the reasons why these people are homeless is horrific. Everyone deserves a safe and warm home. I wanted to use my skills to help those lacking what we take for granted.'
Gina Hurley addresses the Rock for Llamau audience (Image: Megan Jenkins, Newsquest)
Since having begun contributing to Llamau's cause in 2015, Ms Hurley has raised around £25,000 – enough to fund over 800 counselling sessions to develop positive mental health. This year's event alone has contributed over £6000 to the sum with the final figure yet to be confirmed, far exceeding their hopes and expectations.
'The music scene always attracts people that want to make a difference and using music to promote Llamau was a no-brainer,' said Ms Hurley.
Sally Telford, of Llamau, said: "This year felt like the perfect time to scale up from a day-festival to a full weekender, and we couldn't be prouder of the result.
'The heart of this event is to celebrate Welsh heavy music, foster a supportive community and fundraise for Llamau's to end homelessness in Wales.
'While the figures aren't in yet, we have broken a new fundraising record of at least £6,000. This is a testament to Gina Hurley's tireless work and spirit, and Ange and The Patriot staff's generous choice to provide the venue and staffing to make this happen.
'We cannot thank everyone involved enough."
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