Woo Fest organisers, Ria and Luke Simons, are celebrating after the proceeds from this year’s event helped them reach a huge fundraising milestone. The brother and sister team, along with a dedicated group of volunteers, has surpassed a quarter of a million pounds raised for St Richard’s Hospice across the festival’s history, with the total standing at £270,784.77.
While St Richard’s benefits from ongoing and committed support from the community, no individuals have ever raised a sum of this kind in the hospice’s 42-year history.
Inspired by the care given to their music-loving dad John before he died at the hospice, the duo set up the family-friendly festival in 2015 to help hospice care live on for others.
From tiny beginnings in a field in Upton upon Severn, Woo Fest is now an award-winner and sellout event annually. It was crowned the UK’s Best Small Festival at the National Festival Awards in 2019 and 2022.
Capas and The Rainmakers on stage at Woo Fest 2026 (Credit: Andy Dawson, Spectrum Photography)
Ria Simons said: “A quarter of a million pounds has been smashed, and that’s all because of an amazing community coming together for a cause that means so much to so many.
“Everyone gives their time, talent and energy to Woo Fest simply because they want to make a difference. It’s a truly beautiful thing.”
Luke Simons said: “There are many ordinary people doing extraordinary things to raise money for the wonderful St Richard’s Hospice, while putting on the best weekend we possibly can.
“Thank you to every single person who bought a ticket, came along, danced, sang, chilled out and donated. Quite simply, this wouldn’t happen without you.
“We’ll see you all next year!”
Abby Holliday, Director of Business and Income Generation at St Richard’s, said: “Ria and Luke have raised an incredible amount, especially for a charity like us that relies on our community to help raise 80% of the £12million it costs to keep our services running each year.
“We couldn’t be more grateful to them for choosing to turn their own experience of loss into help and support for those who need us, including bereaved children.”
St Richard’s Hospice is an independent charity offering free, expert care for adults with an illness that cannot be cured, and support for their loved ones and carers.
Each year the hospice team supports more than 3,000 patients, family members and bereaved people in Worcestershire.
It will cost in the region of £12m to run the hospice this year, which includes patient care and all the necessary support services.
St Richard’s relies on voluntary support, including from donations, gifts in Wills, retail and events for the majority of its income with the remainder funded by the NHS.
For more information about St Richard’s Hospice visit www.strichards.org.uk
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Lead photo: Ria Simons and Luke Simons onstage at Woo Fest
Who does St Richard’s Hospice care for?
St Richard’s cares for people with an illness that cannot be cured, who have complex needs which cannot be met by other services. These include cancer, and neurological, respiratory, cardiac and renal conditions.
All its services are available to people registered with a South Worcestershire GP. The St Richard’s In-patient Unit cares for people across Worcestershire.
St Richard’s cares for people by:
- Supporting people, their loved ones and carers, to manage their illness and remain independent for as long as possible, giving emotional, social, practical and spiritual support
- Providing dedicated, individualised palliative and end of life support helping people to control their pain and other symptoms of concern
- Offering support to enable a person to live well through the course of their illness alongside other therapies that are intended to prolong life
- Supporting our patients, loved ones and carers before and through bereavement
- Working in collaboration with our communities to ensure we are inclusive, respect diversity and provide equitable access to meet the needs of our patients, their loved ones and carers
- Working in partnership with other health care providers and organisations
- Encouraging wider understanding that death and dying is a part of life
- Supporting the local community to be well informed about the care available to them
- Supporting the health and social care workforce through learning and development to provide high-quality, individualised palliative and end of life care
Where St Richard’s cares
St Richard’s offers free care and support for people in the hospice, in the community, in GP surgeries, by telephone or by digital options.
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