Here are the AGF team at the Awards Dinner – from left to right it’s Teresa Moore from Bucks New University who runs the green courses and new annual conference with AGF, Claire, the lovely Helen and the lovely Cass (environmental assessors) and Luke.
The Croissant Neuf Summer Party green team pick up their outstanding award from Ben and Sangita – they went on to win the overall Greener Festival Award 2009 – and it has to be said that it was a tough battle for the ultimate ‘Greener Festival’ Award for 2009. We assessed 37 festivals this year and there were some really excellent entries – with six outstanding awards in the UK and seven outside the UK. Very close to the top in the UK were the Isle of Wight Festival, Workhouse, Bestival, Big Tent and Waveform but the ultimate gong went to the Croissant Neuf Summer Party – a festival that that really goes back to the rootsy feel of days gone by yet remains modern and fresh. All of the power used on site is provided by renewable energy – either wind or solar power, driving one of the most eclectic music line-ups of the year. All caterers use fair trade and organic produce where available, locally brewed beers are prioritised and the organisers of Croissant Neuf positively encourage people to use public transport to get to and from the event – and if they can’t do that, the festival promotes car sharing to reduce fan’s carbon footprints. For good measure the festival decided to plant three trees on the estate where the event is held for ever car that comes to the festival and the organisers do as much as they can to maximise the recycling and minimise the waste produced on site to provide a low impact, friendly and fun festival.
Other winners on the night included Glastonbury for Best Major Festival, Bestival for Best Medium Sized Festival, Beach Break Live for Best Small Festival, Camp Bestival for Best Family Festival, Blur at Glastonbury for Best Headline, Sex on Fire from the Kings of Lyon for Anthem of the Summer, Sonisphere for Best New Festival (which was dedicated to the much missed Maurice Jones) and T-in-the-Park for Best Toilets.
Photos by Sarah Moore. Additional photos by Ben Challis. (C) 2009. Please email us if you want any press photos – agreenerfestival@aol.com .