Claire and Fliss's Isle of Wight SOG Blog: Friday

Claire and Fliss’s Isle of Wight SOG Blog: Friday

For those who think today is just about the start of the World Cup, think again! Today marks the official launch of the Summer of Give, an incredible initiative where we attend five festivals across England to showcase young volunteers’ skills. This weekend, we’re at the Isle of Wight Festival, and we’ve got some fantastic bloggers sharing their experiences!

Claire and Fliss’s Festival Blog

Friday, June 11th - First Day of the Isle of Wight Festival

Despite a rainy start and some less-than-pleasant festival toilets, we kicked off our journey to the Vinspired bus. Lisa, an origami expert, was busy teaching festival-goers how to craft animals. We made leopard and zebra print frogs that actually hop! Lisa, who discovered the Summer of Give through an email, is here with 67,000 festival revelers, cheerleaders, and major superstars. Her first customers made a dinosaur and a bird—proof that volunteering isn’t just about picking up rubbish.

Outside, the cheerleaders dazzled the crowd, performing impressive lifts and throws in their new Vinspired uniforms. A cheer erupted as Amy was launched into a Twist-cradle. One festival-goer, caught by surprise as a birthday treat, was thrown into the air and handed pom-poms, exclaiming, “I’ve never felt so scared in my life,” despite the grin on his face.

While the cheerleaders took a break, Charlotte the football freestyler wowed the audience with her skills, showing that volunteering can be fun. Emma and Lucy, who learned about the Summer of Give from a creative magazine, were busy making Critters, sharing their passion with the public. “It’s good to make people more aware of Vinspired,” Emma mentioned.

The cheerleaders returned with manic grins and high kicks, thrilling festival-goers. One participant expressed his excitement, saying, “It’s a great thing you’re doing here… and the cheerleaders are great!”

As we strolled around the festival, excitement built for the evening performances, with Jay Z headlining. The roadies were testing equipment—not a bad place to be, considering our tickets were provided by Vinspired for our efforts. Tomorrow, the physics busting begins!

Fliss and Claire xxx

Apply for the Summer of Give on the website.

For more updates from the Summer of Give project, visit the Vinspired Facebook page.