We can’t wait for LOOKFest 2023. We have an exciting and varied programme lined up. In this post you can find full details about what to expect. If you have any questions though, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We would like you to feel comfortable and relaxed (and as excited as we are!) about this special weekend away in the Monmouthshire countryside.
LOOKFest is a VI-accessible summer festival for visually impaired young people and their families.
LookFest will take place on July 7-9th, in the great outdoors at Humble By Nature, Meend Farm, Monmouthshire.
This festival is run by LOOK, a charity that aims to empower young visually impaired (VI) people to thrive. LOOKFest is a unique event, created by VI people, for VI people.
We want all visually impaired young people to have the same opportunities as everyone else to get down and dirty with nature, roam free and have fun in the outdoors.
Come and muck in!
Tickets
All tickets are charged at the same rate for VI and sighted guests. Your ticket includes all activities and catering, from Friday evening meal to Sunday breakfast. Cash will be needed for additional snacks and drinks.
2 and under FREE
Full Festival Child Ticket (3–17 years) £55.00
Full Festival Parent/Carer Ticket (18 years+) £75.00
Child Day Ticket (3-17 years) £15 (BYO food – this ticket does not include catering)
Adult Day Ticket (18 years+) £20 (BYO food – this ticket does not include catering)
ACCOMMODATION
The site
LOOKFest 2023 takes place at the beautiful Humble by Nature centre, in the great outdoors and under canvas. The site is located in the Monmouthshire countryside, half hour by car from either Abergavenny or Hereford train stations.
The site is on a working farm. We have use of a large glamping and activities field with toilet and shower block, three indoor activity spaces (also with toilets and shower) and a smaller outdoor activity area (paddock).
The camping field is flat and accessible by a well-maintained drive.
Facilities
- Phone charging points (indoors)
- Hot showers (accessible)
- Washing up area
- Flushing Toilets (wheelchair accessible)
- Baby changing facilities
- Communal firepit
- Dog spending area
- Cafe / bar
- Shop for emergency supplies
- Spare bedding and emergency laundry service if needed
Glamping
Add a touch of luxury to your LOOKFest experience by booking a pre-erected and fully-furnished bell tents.
Each bell tent is furnished with beds including linen and comfy memory foam mattresses, cotton rugs, a mirror, bunting, solar fairy lights, colourful cushions, low table and battery lamp.
Glamping tent 6 bed: £75.00 for the full weekend
Glamping tent 4 bed: £65.00 for the full weekend
Single bedding set hire – £30.00
Camping
If you’re more of a classic camping family, you can choose to pitch your own tent in our sheltered and car-free camping field. LOOK staff and volunteers will be on hand to support you with pitching your tent where needed.
Small caravans and camper vans can be accommodated, though please be aware that there is no electric hookup available.
Camping tent £10 per tent for the full weekend.
Camping caravan (please let us know if you plan to bring a van) £10 per van for the full weekend.
You can book your glamping / camping HERE
Family glamping prices:
Glamping Prices: £65.00 for a 4 bed bell tent, £75.00 for 6 bed bell tent.
Pitch up your own family tent or campervan: £10.00 per tent / van.
(There is no electrical hook up available for vans, sorry.)
Hire a single bedding set: duvet, pillow and sheet, £30.00 per set
Book your glamping and camping at the checkout when you purchase your tickets
Please ensure you have read our terms and conditions before you book.
To book your tickets to LOOKfest 2023, please click on the link below which will direct you to our Eventbrite booking page.
Pricing Policy
We have priced the tickets and accommodation for this event in line with our standard pricing policy, which is to offer any event at approximately 25% of the cost per person to the charity.
Pricing Policy
Catering is available throughout the festival. We are not able to provide access to fridges, except for storing medicines. We do not have use of a microwave. If self-catering please make sure you comply with our site-safety policy regarding fires and BBQ’s, see below.
Meals will be served at fixed times (tbc), inside the centre.
You will be asked about your dietary requirements at check out when you purchase your tickets.
GETTING HERE
The site address is:
Humble By Nature,
Upper Meend Farm,
Penallt,
Nr Monmouth,
NP25 4RP
It is approximately 30 minutes drive from the towns of Hereford and Abergavenny.
By train:
The nearest train stations are Abergavenny and Hereford. It is approximately half an hour’s drive from each station.
Shuttle Bus
Coming by train? We will be running a shuttle bus service to and from the stations. You will be asked on the booking form whether you are interested in using the shuttle bus. There will be a charge payable when embarking (cash only). We will update this page with further details nearer the time.
By car:
The postcode will bring you directly to the festival site.
By bus:
Buses run from Cardiff, Abergavenny and Hereford to Monmouth. Lifts can be arranged from Monmouth to the site by individual arrangement. Please let us know if you intend to travel by bus.
ACCESSIBILITY
Accessibility is a huge priority for us and we are excited to be working on
making your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
Orientation
The whole festival will be designed with VI guests in mind, with guide ropes,
guy-rope free paths, audible markers and lighting. We also provide sighted
guides and a tactile map.
Assistance
Look staff and volunteers will be on hand to guide and assist where needed.
Please do let us know about all your access needs when you book.
Guide dogs
Guide and buddy dogs are welcome of course. Please be aware that the festival takes place in an open field on a farm. There is a designated spending area with waste bin. Livestock will be kept separate, but please keep dogs on leads in the camping and activities fields and in proximity of any other animals. There is plenty of designated space for free-running.
KIT LIST
Here is a list of reminders for things you may have forgotten. (Beware: it is not a full packing list!)
- Any medication you require. The nearest chemist or supermarket is a ten – fifteen minute drive into Monmouth. We will have a first aid kit but we will not be selling any medication on site.
- Waterproofs and picknick blankets
- Warm jumpers (easy dry such as a fleece is best)
- Wellies
- Warm socks
- Swimming gear / wet wear for any water-based games or activities
- Enough changes of clothes to stay dry in case of wet weather
- Sun cream, sun hat, shades
- Insect repellent
- Towels
- Pegs for hanging wet clothes up
- Wash bags – don’t forget the toothpaste!
- Reusable water bottles. Single use plastic is banned on site. Please bring refillables.
- Bring your own mug to try and save on disposable ones
- Washing up equipment if you are planning on catering for yourselves.
- If bringing wipes, please make sure they are biodegradable.
- Bin bags. There will be recycling bins on site, but please do all you can to take your rubbish away with you.
- Midnight snacks / sweets etc (we will have packs of crisps, cakes, tea and coffee and drinks for sale. If you want sweets, biscuits and chocolate etc, please bring your own.)
- If you are bringing phones / devices, remember your chargers! There will be charge-points available in the centre.
- If bringing small children: nappies, potties, all things baby poo related!
- Toys! Especially toys for the mud kitchen!
- If bringing a guide or buddy dog: poo bags, dog food, all things dog related!
- Trainers / sporty shoes
- Musical Instruments (bring them along for the open mic and the campfire jams!)
- Powerful torch(es) (Please bear in mind that although we are doing everything we can to make the site accessible, and there will be lighting at key points (such as toilet block), the site is not flood lit throughout the night.
- Personal catering: meals are provided. If you want to make your own rather than using the caterers available, please bring your own cooking equipment, crockery etc.
- Cash: Coffee shop and bar will be operating on a cash-only basis. The nearest cash dispensers are in Monmouth, a short drive away.
- Dressing up clothes: the theme is The Magic in All of Us. Get creative! If you don’t have anything to bring, don’t worry, we will have some materials to help you create something on site if you fancy.
- Please remember that glass, single use plastics and throw away BBQs are forbidden on site.
CAMPSITE RULES
We kindly ask you to follow a few rules to keep everyone safe and happy.
Pathways
The LOOKFest is being designed with VI guests in mind, and a big part of the accessibility of the festival relies on clear pathways for independent navigation. Please respect the importance of keeping all pathways clear and free of litter. We ask that you respect the guide ropes, audio clues and tactile markers put in place as orientation landmarks. Please do not alter or move these.
Campfires and BBQ
There will be a communal fire pit lit each evening that you are welcome to enjoy. We will set times for marshmallow toasting and singalongs.
We ask that you do not light your own private BBQs or campfires.
Please do not scavenge wood from surrounding areas as they form habitats. Please make note of the fire points and return used gas canisters from camping stoves to Public Information for disposal and recycling.
Chinese lanterns
No Chinese fire lanterns are allowed on site as they pose a significant fire risk.
Small kites may be flown in designated areas.
Glass
Please do not bring glass bottles to the campsite. Decant liquid into plastic before you arrive. This is a family event so there’ll be lots of tiny bare feet running around everywhere!
There will be a licensed bar on site. Please do not bring your own alcohol.
Rubbish and waste
Please use eco/biodegradable or reusable utilities wherever possible e.g. camping crockery, water bottles etc. We will have reusable pint cups for sale on site!
Wherever possible please don’t use items that are harmful to the environment on site such as baby wipes and non-recyclable plastics. There will be bins onsite, but we ask that you are responsible for your own rubbish and take any waste away with you where reasonable. We expect the site to be left clean and free of rubbish at the end of the festival.
Sound systems
No sound systems, amplified music, ghetto blasters etc. are allowed in the camping areas. You can of course bring your acoustic instruments such as guitars for your campfire sing-alongs.
Please respect your fellow campers and make sure everyone can sleep when they want to, even if they snore heavily throughout the night!
Pets
The only animals permitted on site are guide and buddy dogs. We ask that guide dogs are kept on a short lead at all times in the camping and activity fields. There will be designated spending and free running areas clearly marked on the site map. You are responsible for your guide dog at all times including picking up and disposing of any waist in the designated dog waist bins.
VOLUNTEER
We hope volunteers will join us on site from Thursday 6the July and leave on Sunday 9th. This is to give everyone time to settle in, get to know each other and the site before the event. There will be plenty of jobs to do in preparing the site for our guests and plenty of clearing up to do afterwards. Glamping accommodation, meals will be provided, from evening meal on the 6th onwards.
Roles will include:
- Stewarding shuttle bus service from stations
- Ticket office and reception
- Car park and camping stewarding
- Toilet and facilities attendant
- Directing and orientation support
- Activity assistants
- Catering tent and bar
- Litter picking and clearing walkways
- MC / compere
- Shop and cafe assistants
- Stewarding: either in a tent or around the site
- General hosting: making sure everyone is happy and comfortable
- Sighted volunteers will be buddied with a VI volunteer to carry out their roles if required
- Site build and take down
What’s involved?
- All volunteers must fill in an application. The deadline for this application is 5th May 2023. The success of that application is at the discretion of Look UK. You will be informed by May 12th 2023 if your application is successful.
- You have the option to pitch your own tent on the site for free, or be allocated a bed in one of the volunteer glamping tents for a heavily discounted fee of £20.
- All volunteers must read and agree to the volunteer agreement before accepting a place on the team.
- Sighted volunteers may be paired with a visually impaired volunteer, in order to help that VI volunteer fulfil their role. We will of course take all requests into consideration, but the allocation of volunteering roles and pairings is at the discretion of Look UK.
- Volunteers need to attend a training for site build, orientation, introductions and sighted guide training, one day prior to the beginning of the event. (July 6th)
- Look UK will give references for volunteers on request.
- All volunteers need to have a DBS. This can be processed by Look UK.
We will hold an online greet, preparation and training session for all LOOKFEST volunteers on 23rd June 2023. Details for this meeting will be sent out with volunteer role offers.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
When and where
Date and time
Fri, 7 Jul 2023 14:00 – Sun, 9 Jul 2023 12:00 BST
Location
Humble By Nature Upper Meend Farm Penallt Monmouth NP25 4RP United KingdomShow map
Refund Policy
Refunds up to 30 days before event
Eventbrite’s fee is nonrefundable.
FAQs
Are there ID or minimum age requirements to enter the event?
Yes. If you are under 18 you must be accompanied by an adult. You may be asked for ID if buying alcohol at the bar.
What are my transport/parking options for getting to and from the event?
A shuttle bus service will operate from nearby train stations. There will be a nominal cash fee for this. Times and cost details will appear on the website soon. There are public buses in to Monmouth, the nearest town. Lifts to and from the bus stop can be arranged on request. Driving directions will be available on the website. Onsite parking is free and convenient. There is a well maintained road to the site and a convenient parking area.
How can I contact the organiser with any questions?
Please contact Megan Barker at megan@look-uk.org
What’s the refund policy?
- If you wish to cancel for any reason please let us know by June 23rd at the latest for a full refund.
- If you cancel after the June 23rd, or fail to turn up and claim your space no refund will be given.
Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?
No. Digital proof of ticket purchase is also acceptable.
Will the site be accessible?
Yes. This event is being designed by VI people for VI people. We are also committed to meeting any other needs you tell us about. Please be sure to inform us of ALL additional needs you have so that we can plan the site accordingly.
Can I bring my guide or buddy dog?
Yes. All guide dogs and buddy dogs are welcome. There is a designated spending area. Please keep dogs on leads in camping and activity fields. There is a convenient designated area within the field for free-running.
Is there a shop nearby?
Yes. Monmouth is close by (10 or 15 minute drive). We will be selling essentials such as milk, batteries and sanitary products from our emergency shop on site.
Can I charge my phone on site?
Yes. There will be a phone charge service on site, for which there will be a nominal charge.
Is there WiFi on site?
Yes. There is WiFi within the centre and 4G on the farm.
Will I need money once I get there?
Yes. You are welcome to bring your own snacks and all meals are catered, but if you choose to use our cafe you will need money to pay for snacks and drinks. There will be a paying bar. Essential supplies will be available for sale on site. If you wish to book a massage session you will need to pay the provider. All activities and meals are included in the ticket price. If you choose to use the shuttle bus from the station, there will be a charge for this on embarking. (Price TBC.)
What food will be available at the festival?
LOOK is outsourcing the catering for the event. There will be a range of food available to cater for meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans. If you have special dietary requirements please get in touch with us directly and let us know at the time of booking so that we can accommodate your needs. You are welcome to bring your own food.
Are campfires and barbeques allowed?
There will be a shared, designated area for scheduled shared campfires. You may not light your own campfire. Cooking and naked flames are forbidden in or next to hired bell tents.
Is it ok if the name on my ticket or registration doesn’t match the person who attends?
The name on the booking must match that of the person attending the festival.
Is my ticket transferable?
No. The tickets are not transferable.
What if the festival is cancelled?
In the event of LOOK cancelling the festival for any reason, all tickets will be fully refunded.
If you have further questions please get in touch at megan@look-uk.org
