Mayor Sue Thurgood welcomed youth groups from across Glastonbury to the town’s Youth Festival on Saturday. Performances by young singers, dancers, musicians and poets went alongside demonstrations by young members of community organisations like the St John’s Ambulance during the morning whilst in the afternoon audiences watched plays and recitals performed by Glastonbury’s most talented young people. In the evening, a Battle of the Bands brought the day to a noisy but exciting conclusion.
Attending with his family was Glastonbury’s prospective MP James Heappey. “Sue and the organising committee have done such a great job putting today’s events together” said James. “The youth organisations represented here today are the glue that holds our community together and it was a pleasure to speak to young Scouts, Sea Cadets and members of the St John’s Ambulance alongside the dedicated adult leaders who make those groups possible.”
“I got so much from being a Scout, singing in local choirs and acting with the local amateur dramatic society as well as swimming and playing rugby and cricket for local clubs when I was younger so it is just brilliant to see that all those sorts of clubs and organisations are still recruiting strongly here in Glastonbury.”
“Just as importantly, there are some seriously talented young performers here in Glastonbury. You get the feeling that the Town Hall stage in the 2013 Youth Festival could easily become the Pyramid Stage at another well-known festival just up the road in five years time.”