Open Road returned to Latitude for the second year running to provide welfare services throughout the duration of the festival.
The team consisted of 43 volunteers from Open Road’s SOS Bus, and partner agencies; The Children’s Society (Essex Young Peoples Drug and Alcohol Service), Social Services and Essex CRC working shifts covering a total of 5 days across two welfare tents.
Steve Wood, Welfare Manager for the event spoke of this year’s success: “Latitude is a friendly family focused festival with almost 40’000 people attending the event.”
“Latitude this year was a massive success, not just for Latitude but also for Open Road covering the welfare services. Our team was excellent and pulled out all the stops in looking after individual needs, giving out information and facilitating safeguarding provisions to children and adults.”
The welfare team supported families at Latitude this year by supplying thousands of children’s wristbands provided by the festival which displayed the parent’s or carers phone number in case a child got lost.
The team supplied well in excess of 500 unaccompanied wristbands to young people aged over 10 if they were permitted by parents to roam alone with appropriate arrangements in place.
The team provided welfare support to 114 individuals ranging from ages 12 to 65 with a variety of needs and circumstances from sunstroke, migraine & being disorientated to needing support whilst being under the influence of alcohol and other substances.
The teams assisted in providing a safe place and care for a total of 78 lost and found young people and vulnerable adults.
Steve Wood concluded reflected on the event “Our hard work did pay off. It was great to meet so many families and individuals at the festival who were pleased with the service we provided. We have already received a lot of very positive feedback from the event and festival goers for the work that we have done and we hope to have the chance to do it all again next year”
