Passing Comment – Cadstock is gone – let’s bring it back next year

Glamorgan Star news 23/04/2023

2 minutes read

I AM absolutely gutted that this year’s Cadstock as been cancelled after catastrophic cash cuts to the Vale Council community events budget.

Our favourite community festival has been hit hard by the local authority’s latest decision not to help fund the ever-popular two-day weekender in the east end of town.

Without this welcome cash injection, organisers just cannot keep Cadstock free, fully inclusive, and for all, leaving them with no option but to cancel the iconic event.

There is cash from fundraisers, a firm sponsorship from Empress Piercing, and a small donation from Asda Community Fund but this is just not enough to finance the festival which costs between £14,000 to £17,000 to stage each year as a free event, with brilliant bands and other cracking entertainment.

In my view, this is a massive blow to our community, especially those over the east end of town who have to travel, mostly to the Waterfront or Island, to any sort of community caper.

Mind you, most of these have all been slashed to the minimum too. Have a look at the Vale Council’s website, there’s hardly anything on it. And events like the Isle of Fire and ‘Grease on the Beach’ get togethers we enjoyed pre-Covid seem gone for good.

Seems short-sighted to me too. Cadstock, hosted in July at Victoria Park, is one of the highlights of our cohesive community’s Summer Season. It has trebled in size since it began 14 years ago, 2019’s decade celebration was one of the biggest and best events the town has ever seen, and came back with a bang last year following the long, lonely Lockdown.

What a stunning success the weekend was. The bands were brilliant, the crowds were cool, the vibe was victorious, and whoever ordered the weather played an absolute blinder. But of course, the one special ingredient that keeps Cadstock Alive is our cracking community spirit.

Our superb sense of solidarity runs right through our residents like a stick of Barry Island rock.

So, let’s keep everything crossed our community can come together to keep Cadstock Alive with its current free for all vibe.

Sponsors, please dig deep; locals, let us know if there is a grant going; party-goers please pop along to any fundraisers, and of course, donations are always welcome.