An Andover landlady who brought the community together for a festival inspired by her autistic son has raised £1,635 for the National Autistic Society.
Jodie Tarrant, landlady of The Angel in Andover High Street, was behind Beyond Words – A Family Festival for Autism, a three-day community event held from July 31 to August 2.
For Jodie, however, the weekend was about far more than simply raising money.
Her young son is autistic and non-verbal, making the cause deeply personal and inspiring her to create an event which celebrated inclusion while bringing families and the wider Andover community together.
After months of planning, fundraising and organising, Jodie and the team have now revealed that Beyond Words raised a final total of £1,635 for the National Autistic Society.
Speaking ahead of the festival, Jodie explained why she was determined to make it happen.
“This cause is incredibly close to my heart. Autism affects so many amazing families in our town. I wanted to create something positive, inclusive and uplifting — a weekend where the community comes together to make a difference.”
That idea became Beyond Words, with The Angel transformed into the centre of three days of fundraising, music and entertainment.
The programme included live music, a DJ battle, family activities, food and a large charity raffle, with performers, businesses, volunteers and residents all playing their part.
The festival followed the success of the pub’s previous fundraising event, which raised £3,375 for charity. This time, organisers had initially set themselves the ambitious target of raising £5,000.
Although the final figure fell short of that target, the £1,635 raised represents the generosity of dozens of people across the community, including 39 supporters who donated through the event’s JustGiving page.
Announcing the final figure, Jodie said they had been left “absolutely overwhelmed” by the support.
She said: “A huge thank you to every single person who made Beyond Words possible. To everyone who donated, bought raffle tickets, sponsored us, donated prizes, performed, volunteered, helped behind the scenes, shared our posts or simply came along and supported us, this total is because of you.
“£1,635 might be a number on a screen, but behind that number are so many people coming together to make a difference.”
Beyond Words was deliberately created as a family festival, allowing people to support the charity while enjoying a weekend together in the town centre.
Friday saw the event get under way with a DJ battle, before Saturday brought a packed programme of family entertainment and live music. The weekend then continued into Sunday with a more relaxed atmosphere and acoustic performances.
For Jodie, seeing people walk through the doors and support something inspired by her family’s own experience gave the weekend an added significance.
The National Autistic Society works across the UK to support autistic people and their families, as well as campaigning to improve understanding of autism, services and opportunities.
The charity was founded in 1962 and today provides information, guidance and support alongside its campaigning work.
But Beyond Words was also about starting conversations closer to home.
By sharing the personal reason behind the fundraiser, Jodie hoped the festival could help create greater awareness and understanding while giving local families an event where inclusion was at its heart.
The response demonstrated how strongly Andover’s community was prepared to get behind that message.
Organisers added: “We set out to create something special for our community and raise money for a cause that means so much to us.
“Beyond Words really was beyond words.
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. You all helped make a difference.”
The final total brings months of work to a close for Jodie and those who supported her, but the impact of the weekend goes beyond the £1,635 handed to the National Autistic Society.
Behind the figure is a local mum sharing something deeply personal to her family, a High Street pub opening its doors to the community, and dozens of people giving their time, talent and money to support a cause which means so much to families in Andover and beyond.
Many many congratulations …wow