THE South Cotswold Beer and Music Festival returned in style for the 22nd consecutive year last weekend taking its lifetime charity contributions past a quarter of a million pounds.

Beer and music lovers from across South Gloucestershire flocked to Chipping Sodbury rugby club for the two-day event which is organised by Yate and District Rotary Club.

Organisers claim this was the best year yet with attendance reaching more than 1,600 across the two days, with a possible expansion on the cards to allow more people to attend.

Rotary club member John Goff has organised the festival for the past five years.

“It’s very much a community event,” he told the Gazette.

“Lots of families turn up and there is a lot of extra room on the rugby fields for kids to run around and the parents can sit back, relax, and enjoy a drink and some great music.

“We’re already starting the planning for next year’s festival, it’ll be in the second week of July again, and because the event always happens near the Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford we have to plan early.”

John says he first joined the club 18 years ago because it was a way to both have fun, make new friends and do something for the community.

Over the past 21 festivals the club has successfully raised £236,000, all of which is donated to local, national and international good causes, this year’s contributions are predicated to push the total past a quarter of a million pounds.

Last year the club donated £7,987 to community projects including Yate Young Carers, £2,220 to national charities such as the Cumbrian Flood Appeal and £6,893 to international support such as polio eradication.

Festival goers enjoyed more than 15 hours of live music across Friday and Saturday, July 7-8 along with a vast array of hot food, 90 ales and craft beers and 22 ciders and perries.

Two bands played for four hours on the shorter Friday event while five bands played for a total of 11 hours at Saturday’s larger celebrations.