Leeds VW Festival raises thousands for kids' charity

MORE than 20,000 people enjoyed fun in the sun at the 12th annual VW Festival held in the grounds of Harewood House over the weekend.
VW Festival at Harewood House, near Leeds. Pictured Daisy Warke, from Middleton, Leeds, has fun in the sun.
14th August 2016.
Picture : Jonathan GawthorpeVW Festival at Harewood House, near Leeds. Pictured Daisy Warke, from Middleton, Leeds, has fun in the sun.
14th August 2016.
Picture : Jonathan Gawthorpe
VW Festival at Harewood House, near Leeds. Pictured Daisy Warke, from Middleton, Leeds, has fun in the sun. 14th August 2016. Picture : Jonathan Gawthorpe

Motor enthusiasts were joined by music fans at this year’s three-day-event, which featured live bands along with vehicle displays, trade stands and a fun fair at the north Leeds stately home.

And visitors helped raise around £21,000 for this year’s charity Cash for Kids.

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Money was raised through a string of fundraising events, including the raffling off of a 1967 VW Beetle - won by Bryn Clark of Howarth.

Revellers dressed in fancy dress outfits to reflect the circus theme of this year’s festival, following on from last year’s 1980s themed event.

And the theme for next year’s VWV Festival will be the movies.

Other attractions at this year’s event included BMX displays from renowned freestyle rider Andrei Burton.

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The VW Festival was first held in the grounds of Harewood House in 2005 after it was launched by VW enthusiasts Shane Beardsley and Paul Scott.

VW Festival at Harewood House, near Leeds. 
14th August 2016.
Picture : Jonathan GawthorpeVW Festival at Harewood House, near Leeds. 
14th August 2016.
Picture : Jonathan Gawthorpe
VW Festival at Harewood House, near Leeds. 14th August 2016. Picture : Jonathan Gawthorpe

The two men from west Hull are still running the event and have now been joined by a third partner, John Cunningham

They had travelled to VW events in the south of England and were aware there were few similar events in the north for VW enthusiasts to attend.

Mr Beardsley said: “We started looking for a venue and we settled on Harewood and we have been here ever since.”

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“It started out as a one-day event. The first year we had 3,500 people attending on the one day and it has just grown and grown.

Alex Evans, 10, pictured at the VW Festival.  Picture : Jonathan GawthorpeAlex Evans, 10, pictured at the VW Festival.  Picture : Jonathan Gawthorpe
Alex Evans, 10, pictured at the VW Festival. Picture : Jonathan Gawthorpe

“As the event has grown we have added on more dates. This year we have hundreds and hundreds of show winning cars and car clubs, including the Mark One Golf Glub.

“There are lots of clubs from across the north of England, but we have also had some peole from Belgium and the Netherlands this year.”

For more details, go to www.vwfestival.co.uk