BISHOP’S Stortford’s fastest-growing music festival looks set for another bumper year in 2012 after winning a four-figure grant from NatWest.
Charity spectacular Cazfest, which will be taking place on July 7, has been awarded £6,000 from the High Street banking giant’s new CommunityForce fund.
The cash will be added to the £20,000 raised at last year’s third annual summer party, which was held in the town centre for the first time and pulled in more than 4,000 punters.
Cazfest, launched in 2009 to raise awareness of heart problems in young people throughout Herts and Essex, was among some 7,000 charities competing for the funding across the UK.
It was picked as one of three regional winners after winning the most votes from the public, with totals boosted by an appeal in the Observer back in October.
As part of its prize, the festival committee will also be given ongoing support by NatWest’s financial advisers.
The first Cazfest was held at the Bishop’s Stortford High School’s Jobbers Wood sports ground in 2009, a year after former student Caroline Johnstone – known to friends as Caz - died of sudden heart failure on a night out in Harlow.
Organised by parents Johnny and Lesley, with help from Caroline’s younger brother Ross and a close-knit group of supporters, it was headlined by up-and-coming London rapper Sway and Subways frontman Billy Lunn.
Following its successful debut, which was attended by more than 2,500 music fans, a follow-up event at the same venue in 2010 was headlined by R&B sensation Lemar and hip-hop megastar Tinchy Stryder. This time, at least 3,500 people turned up.
Last year’s Cazfest saw it move to a new home on Sworder’s Field, where a massive crowd of over 4,000 flocked for headliners Sugababes, The Overtones, Ed Drewett, S Club and dozens of fantastic support acts across two stages.
Despite the ongoing recession, the event successfully scooped another five-figure haul. In recognition of their efforts, the Observer arranged for Johnny and Leslie to be presented with a bouquet of flowers from Margaret Kay, based at Bridge Street’s Coopers of Stortford.
Originally held in aid of Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), Cazfest now operates as an independent registered charity, although it still helps raise awareness of CRY’s work.
Proceeds have been used to roll out precautionary heart screening in several Bishop’s Stortford secondaries, with schools as far afield as Chelmsford also gearing up to take part.
The programme has flagged up issues that would otherwise have gone unnoticed in a number of students, prompting them to seek further tests.
On top of the annual festival and its latest grant from NatWest, Cazfest is funded by dozens of community events throughout the year – including a recent Christmas concert in Market Square by many of the town’s young musicians.
In Little Hadham, where Caroline’s family live, proceeds from the village’s annual fun run are donated to the cause. The event was also supported by regular events at award-winning Stortford restaurant Lussmanns, which shut late last year.
The NatWest money will help produce information leaflets about heart problems in young people. These will be handed out at Cazfest events. It will also be used to give the festival website a more professional makeover.
Johnny said: “Once again, I’m expecting the next Cazfest to be the best one yet, as we’ve got more funds in our kitty than ever before. We more or less went for broke in 2011, knowing that if it succeeded it would take us to another level.
“It could have gone horribly wrong and we could have lost everything, but it was hugely successful and as a result we’re well positioned to build on it and take it to an even higher level.”
A line-up for this year’s Cazfest is yet to be announced, but talks with potential stars are now underway. It is hoped that more news will be revealed by the end of February.
Keep an eye on the Observer for all the latest updates - and for video from last year's festival, click here.
