SOMERSET’S SUNRISE FESTIVAL WINS NATIONAL ETHICAL TRAVEL AWARD
Sunrise Festival has been awarded the Guardian Ethical Travel award 2011. The festival has been running for the last six years on 100% sustainable power with a site wide organic food policy, and is widely acclaimed for its holistic outlook.
The Ethical Travel Award was presented to Dan Hurring, Sunrise’s Managing Director last week during the Guardian Travel Awards ceremony in Tenerife by Mariella Frostrup. Over 100 dignitaries attended from various national tourist boards, major airlines and travel companies. “We are delighted to have received this recognition from the Guardian and Observer newspapers. It’s such an honor to be noticed for our ethos and efforts in terms of sustainability and positive social change. The Guardian share many of our ethics and have a commitment to truth and openness, two values we really care about, so to receive this from them is all the more special,” said Dan.
The award was chosen by Gemma Bowes, the Guardian travel editor, Richard Hammond, the Guardian eco travel correspondent and Andy Pietrasik, head of travel, GMG. Sunrise’s commitment to highlighting and showcasing alternative ways of living sustainably on the land and to the promotion of alternative transport solutions for their festival goers impressed the Guardian judges and helped Sunrise win the award.
“Every year we ask our readers to vote for their favourite holiday companies and destinations in our annual Guardian and Observer Travel Awards,” said Gemma Bowes. “Thousands fill in questionnaires to vote. But a couple of the awards are chosen by the editorial team, which gives us the chance to highlight those companies and projects that have really impressed us. After having a ball at Sunrise Celebration a couple of years ago, then continuing to read about its development, its background, its aims and philosophies; I was absolutely in no doubt it deserved to win our ethical award. Its commitment to sustainability and an ethical, organic approach to partying is truly impressive. They don’t shove their ideals down your throat like a politician would; instead they demonstrate how the world could be a happier, greener, kinder place by demonstrating their ideas in a fun way, and putting on a magical, zany, wonderful show. It may be small scale, but we believe mighty oaks from little acorns grow, and we hope other whopping, more commercial events will take inspiration from Sunrise and think about how they can ensure they have a solely positive affect on their environment and guests,”
Sunrise is a festival known for walking its talk with the use of solar and wind power, stringent waste and litter management and free water refills to minimise plastic drinking bottles, along with many other ground breaking ideas developed over the last six years. It also has a wealth of talks and workshops with leading UK experts in alternative technologies and living and has become widely acclaimed for its authenticity and lack of green wash. Pioneering creative out looks, prioritising the needs of people and planet alongside monetary profit, and not wavering from that integrity encapsulates its ethos, along with “living in harmony with the earth”, which is in tune with Permaculture Principles and commitment to challenging the status quo, by empowering people to actively create a positive impact on their communities. Sunrise is run by a Community Interest Company, which enshrines their principles of meeting a triple bottom line of people, planet and profit in law.
This is the second prestigious award won by Sunrise this year. Back in April the Festival was awarded best Green Festival by The Green Parent Magazine, again for commitment to holistic, ethical living and for a kid friendly environment where children come to play, learn and have a great experience in festival life without parents being stressed and over stretched by a too hectic surrounding. This year Sunrise is changing dates to take advantage of Glastonbury festival having a fallow year. It will move from the beginning of June to 21-24 June 2012, the Solstice weekend, to which it owes its name and where it began six years ago during the last Glastonbury break.
There are still a number of discounted £95 Early bird tickets on offer. To find out more about Sunrise and how to buy tickets visit the website: www.sunrisecelebration.com
