We are the Church providing safe space at Creamfields

Members of We are the Church first approached Creamfields organisers in 2016 to ask if they could be there to offer support and provide a relaxing space for festivalgoers.

“We’d heard about the work of Festival Angels at other events and wanted to do something similar for our local festival,” said organiser Rev’d Jane Proudfoot from St Wilfrid’s Church in Grappenhall.

This year was the fourth time the We Are Church tents made an appearance on the Daresbury fields.

The team is made up of volunteers from Warrington and Runcorn from a wide cross-section of local churches.

As well as offering a calm and relaxing space and a space to chat for festivalgoers, We are the Church also give out thousands of cups of water over the four-day festival period.

“We are there to listen and to let people at the festival know they are loved and cared for,” said Rev’d Jane.

“We give out thousands of cups of water over the four days of Creamfields and have amazing conversations.

“We want the young people who attend, many of whom may never have been to church, to go away knowing that the Church cares about them.”

One grateful festivalgoer made a visit to the church tent and expressed their gratitude on social media.

“Just wanted to message and say how amazing the church was at Creamfields this weekend,” they said.

“It really was mine and my friend’s safe space with such inspirational volunteers who should be so proud of themselves for helping the people that they do.

“It is genuinely amazing!

“Keep doing what you are all doing even when it seems tough because you don’t realise how many people’s lives you’re changing.

“God bless you.”

The volunteers feel ‘privileged’ to be able to work alongside the organisers of the festival and to be part of ‘Creamfields Cares’ which supports the welfare and wellbeing of everyone on the site.

Pastor and organiser Jonny Masters, the family and children’s advisor for the Diocese of Chester, said: “The Creamfields Team are incredibly helpful and generous to us, and we couldn’t do what we do without their help and support.”

The church team was ‘distressed’ to hear about the death of a young woman from South Wales after she fell ill at Creamfields 2022.

Kim Wellens, who works for Warrington Youth for Christ and also helps to organise the volunteers at Creamfields said: “Her family are in our thoughts and prayers.

“No one can fail to be affected by such sad news, we want everyone to stay safe.”

The volunteers operate entirely on donations from the local churches.

To find out more, to donate to We are the Church or to find out about volunteering contact wearethechurchatcreamfields@hotmail.com