AN independent festival based in Little Somerford is giving back to its community in droves.

Fieldview Festival, known fondly as the ‘biggest little festival in Wiltshire’, has raised more than £24,000 for good causes since it started 10 years ago.

The event started out as a weekend of entertainment for the organisers friends in a field, but has since grown into a successful and popular festival.

When it began, festival organisers, brothers James and Daniel Cameron, did not want to “profiteer” off their friends, and so pledged any money raised would go to charity.

This ethos of altruism has remained, and the festival now donates surplus profits to charity every year.

James, 31, says it was this charity focus that has helped make the festival what it is today.

“If we set out to make profit, it would have been more difficult,” he said.

“Because it’s a nice positive message, people can get behind it and they don’t feel they’re being ripped off by volunteering.”

The festival donate to both local and global causes, having previously raised more than £1,000 for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance and more than £3,000 for Little Somerford Church.

Speaking about the donation to the church, James said: “It is down the road from the festival and is a tiny little church that has served the local community for a long time.

“They’re a fantastic bunch of people who have put up and accepted all the glitter and people in fancy-dress that comes with the festival every year.

“To say thank you, we donated towards the new toilet and kitchen facilities used by the community.”

Every year the festival donates money raised by the car park to Cool Earth, a charity that protects South America rainforest.

The £5,290 Fieldview Festival have raised for Cool Earth has been enough to protect 60 acres of Amazon.

Looking nearer to home, the Fieldview team have chosen HEALS of Malmesbury as this year’s charity to support.

“We put out local charity appeal through our blog and opened it up for people to nominate charities that were doing good work,” said James.

“We had about 60 applications for the charities and 30 were for HEALS, from people who had either worked with them or depended on them.

“We felt they were the best fitting for where we money to go.”

Gavin Grant, chairman of HEALS, said the charity was “delighted and honoured” to be chosen

He said: “I hope people really enjoy the festival and that it is made even better by knowing that while they do they are helping local people and families whose lives are tough and challenging right now‎.”

For more information on Fieldview Festival, or to buy tickets to this year’s event, which runs from Thursday until Sunday, visit fieldviewfestival.co.uk