This year’s Reading festival (22-24th of August) saw Cradle (www.cradle.ie) and Festival Republic (festival republic.com) work together to raise awareness and money for Cradle’s projects in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Thailand. The relationship between Cradle and Festival Republic (former Mean Fiddler) started in 1993 and has since then developed into a close partnership.

In October 2007, this relationship underwent a new and exciting development brought on by Festival Republic’s MD Melvin Benn’s desire to bring festival audiences closer to Cradle’s work. Festival Republic made Reading & Leeds festival goers an offer: how would you like to join us on an all-expenses paid trip to experience and participate in Cradle’s vital and rewarding projects?

Worldwide Volunteering with Festival Republic & Cradle received hundreds of applications. By February and March 2008, the selected candidates departed for Thailand and Bosnia&Herzegovina. Chloe and Ben were chosen to come to Thailand, where they participated in Cradle’s school-rebuilding project, while Rhiannon and Mark were selected as candidates for the house-rebuilding project in the town of Mostar.

The candidates’ reaction to their experiences was overwhelmingly positive:

‘This project was the most memorable of my life and I’d like to sincerely thank all at Cradle… Also to Festival Republic, namely Sharon for the same reasons, and Melvin Benn, the Managing Director, for giving me this unique and rewarding experience.’ Benn

To read more about the candidates’ work with Worldwide Volunteering, click on the heading ‘Charity’ on Festival Republic’s website.

This enthusiastic response is what motivates Cradle and Festival Republic – it shows that their work can bring about a change in people’s lives.