We have taken your feedback on board and looked at what you all would like to have at the Hedge-U-cation Family Camp – and also what you don’t want – and have spent many hours working on making sure that Hedge-U-cation 2018 will be better than ever.
We will have solar shower washrooms this year, they will be shanty in true off the grid style, with solar shower bags for you to fill and heat in the sun, which I have asked for, as a way to provide shower facilities and also encourage mindfulness on water usage.
We have new craft drop-in workshops, no booking required. Please remember that all the other workshops and activities do not require booking, it is in only the Craft Area where they are running specialised skill workshops that need booking.
The Community Café will be offering tea, coffee, cake and vegan/veggie food all day, which will be affordable for all.
The crew will have their own crew food area this year to ensure that there are no huge queues to contend with, although we feel that the amazing volunteers that all come for love to make Hedge-U-cation happen will want to come and meet you all share a cuppa and a slice of cake or a wrap and a chat in the cafe, to make us the community that we are. It’s important to us that we are not separated in our community, as this is what seems to happen elsewhere in the world. It is the ‘Community’ Café, for us all, after all – we all make Hedge-U-cation happen together – whether you are a volunteer or you buy a ticket; we are what makes the Hedge Community.
If you would like to be involved whilst at the camp in any capacity, whether that’s a recipe idea in the cafe, a workshop or skill you share or you’d like to help with wood or litter picking, please know that we encourage us all to come together and do this. Come to the office to find out more…
We have been very clear this year that the main Hedge-U-cation Family Camp is from Monday – Friday and that Hedge Fest runs over the weekend. What this means is that the weekend has more emphasis on music, with a smaller kids and crafts area. After a full week, some of the activities and workshops will finish and some new ones will come in. However, it will not be back to back, and there will be a smaller condensed kids area with more free play and games. It is more like what we offer at The Horsedrawn camp, Surplus and other weekend events. So, if your focus is workshops and activities, please come in the week. The weekend features not only amazing artists and entertainers from the UK festival scene, but will also show what the kids and young people have created through the week, with Friday night being Cabaret Night, showcasing performances from the Hedglings.
We are also really working towards a less glass and plastic event, and we will be using biodegradable glitter due to what is happening in our oceans right now. It is important for us all that we do our best to limit plastic contamination on our home as a planet, and ask that you don’t bring glass onto site. If you do, then it is important that you deal with your glass. There are bottle banks in the local village, and as the land is pasture land and breakages do happen we are not encouraging glass on site. I do not want to become an event that searches people when they arrive; I see this as a violation of trust when we all care about our land. Please take responsibility for this, as we will not provide glass bins. If glass is in the recycling, our costs will go up and make what we are keeping as a camp that is affordable for all families become inaccessible, as costs will have to increase.
Dogs: You know the score, on leads and walked; poo picked up using biodegradable bags and binned. We have sheep all around us and the farmer is amazing and really supports the Hedge-U-cation Project. Again, I do not want to have to make Hedge-U-cation a dog-free event, or charge for dogs with tags – they are our family too, so please make sure we all stay safe.
Looking forward to seeing you all!