Charity

The Arts Barge Project is currently under development by a York-based community group which plans to provide a floating cultural centre on the River Ouse in York. The Barge itself will incorporate flexible performance and exhibition spaces for non-mainstream theatre, dance, music and visual arts.

The Charity actively raises awareness of, and access to, high quality, home-grown, original and non-mainstream music, performance and creative art. It encourages collaboration between musicians, performers and artists who traditionally work within a defined genre and / or those who are at differing stages of establishment or experience. They attempt to reduce the gap between performers and audiences by facilitating active engagement and participation in all aspects of our work. They assist individual members of the community in realising their own creative potential. They organise events which raise awareness of the creative talent within our communities and which enhance the quality of our community life.

The Arts Barge Team is working closely with Galtres Festival organisers in 2010 to enhance our programme, and we hope that people who are inspired by the Galtres Festival will benefit from the new centre once it's afloat - both as audience and as performers.

It costs about £1 million each year to keep the Yorkshire Air Ambulance in the air, but they get no NHS funding - so we hope a few of your pints at the Festival will help. The helicopter has flown literally hundreds of life saving missions and has attended several serious road traffic accidents and major incidents, including the Selby rail crash. The Air Ambulance can often access areas that are difficult or impossible for road ambulances to reach quickly and smoothly, such as coastal, rural or mountainous areas.
The Air Ambulance can also deliver a fast inter-hospital transfer of seriously ill or injured patients and a high level of patient comfort, especially to patients with relevant head, neck, back and spinal injuries.

St Monica's Hospital has a special place in the hearts of many people living in and around the Easingwold area - both as a local provider of emergency services, and as a hospice, where many friends and relations have spent their last days being comforted by the loving and dedicated staff.

The hospital was founded in 1893 by Mrs Katherine Love, a member of a family of generous local benefactors living on the Hawkhills estate near Easingwold. At first it was known as Easingwold Cottage Hospital but later renamed St Monica's after the remarkable 4th century mother of the great St Augustus.

Taken over by the state in 1948, the hospital is now designated a Community Hospital. It is administered by the York Health Services NHS Trust, providing nursing and medical care for the acutely ill, chronically ill and convalescent as well as respite care, day care, minor casualty treatment, physiotherapy and, since 1993, occupational therapy.

The 2005 festival raised more than £2000 for St Monica's, funding the purchase of a special orthopaedic bed for the hospital's new wing, and subsequent Festivals have resulted in substantial additional donations to the Friends of St Monica's. We're hoping to raise up to £2500 or more in 2010 for the new palliative suite - if we sell all the tickets and lots of beer and cider.