A teenager from Harrogate has been selected to represent Teenage Cancer Trust at a festival created by presenter and DJ Chris Evans.
Georgie, 18, will attend cinch presents CarFest, a family festival in Hampshire, launched in 2012 to raise funds for UK children’s charities.
The festival is on a mission to Do More Good by spreading the word about how the money raised from ticket sales for CarFest directly supports eight charities across the UK – including Teenage Cancer Trust.
As part of their mission, CarFest has picked nine people who each represent one of the nine charity partners who will receive funds from this year’s event.
One of the faces of the festival’s Do More Good Campaign is Georgie.
Georgie was only 13 when she was diagnosed with Acute T-cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma in 2018. She had six months of intensive treatment by the Teenage Cancer Trust at Leeds Children’s Hospital.
Georgie said:
I was always really sporty and I started to get out of breath easily and I thought that I was becoming unfit.
It wasn’t until I developed large lumps on my neck and shoulders that I went to the doctors.
A month later, in July 2018, I was referred to the hospital. I was really scared as I have a big phobia of hospitals and needles.
I was told how serious it was and that I needed to start the treatment quickly. I came to the realisation of how ill I was.
My mum stayed most nights when I was in hospital as I had a special room on the Teenage Cancer Trust unit.
Having her there helped and made me feel less alone. I had to stay overnight at Christmas in 2018 as I had an infection.
It wasn’t the same as being at home, but Teenage Cancer Trust made it really nice. I got presents and we had a Christmas dinner. My mum, grandma and brother were able to visit me.
While Georgie was in hospital, her isolation was made easier by her Youth Support Coordinators Cat and Padma. Cat told her about Find Your Sense of Tumour event (FYSOT) early on in her treatment, but she was too unwell to go.
FYSOT is a weekend event for young people who have had cancer. It is a chance to connect with other people, build confidence, try new things and have a laugh. The event couldn’t run for a few years due to Covid, so when Cat told Georgie that it was running in 2022 she jumped at the chance to go.
Georgie said she is looking forward to attending this year’s CarFest:
Find Your Sense Of Tumour helped me feel more comfortable with my diagnosis and my other disabilities too.
I now feel more empowered to speak up about my story and I have always loved to help others too so I hope that sharing my story can do that.
The money that CarFest raises for Teenage Cancer Trust will help other children and young people like Georgie.
By sharing these powerful stories, it is hoped that it will showcase how important the charities are, with festival goers gaining a better understanding of how their attendance helps those in need.
Since its inception, CarFest has raised over £24 million for its charity partners.
Chris Evans said:
CarFest has always been about helping those in need and the fact that thousands of people also get to enjoy one of the best weekends ever whilst doing so much good for so many others, is a double win-win.
Held over the bank holiday weekend of 25th-27th August at Laverstoke Park Farm, Hampshire, cinch presents CarFest 2023 will again host seven magical festivals in one: AdventureFest, FoodFest, KidsFest, RetroFest, StarFest, SpaFest and of course, CarFest.
McFly will headline on Friday with 2023 marking 20 years since they first started gigging. Headlining on Saturday is Craig David, who will return to his Hampshire roots after rising to fame 25 years ago. Texas will be Sunday night’s headliner.
Alongside this, there will also be performances from stars including Rick Astley, Alex Horne and the Horne Section, BoyzLife and The Village People with DJ sets from Gok Wan and James Haskell.
CarFest has announced its cohort of celebrities at this year’s event, such as Anton Du Beke, Ben Miller, Jimmy Carr, Rob Brydon, Russell Brand, and plenty more including celebrity chefs and wellness experts. Guests can expect discussions on a wide scope of topics within the entertainment world across the festival’s many star-studded stages, as well as opportunities to have their burning questions answered.
Tickets for CarFesr are available to buy here: www.carfest.org
