Balloon festival aims to inflate funds for hospice

* Balloons take flight at the 2019 Oswestry Balloon Carnival in aid of 

Nightingale House Hospice.

The annual Oswestry Balloon Carnival is to return this summer after it was postponed due to Covid-19 restrictions last year. 

And it will be the first face-to-face fundraising event for Nightingale House Hospice in 18 months. 

Following the Government’s recent announcement to lift lockdown measures, the Oswestry Balloon Carnival in aid of Nightingale House Hospice is due to take place on August 21 and 22. 

Extra safety measures are being introduced because of the pandemic to ensure this year’s family fun event can go ahead safely. 

The hospice is synonymous with the Balloon Carnival, held in association with Oswestry Town Council, Spirit Operations and supported by Oswestry Business Improvement District (BID), and had held the event for four years prior to 2020. 

Weather permitting there will be an array of hot air balloons on display including impressive special shapes, as well as family entertainment and an eclectic mix of food stalls and returns to Cae-Glas Park. 

The carnival atmosphere will spill over into the town centre where more entertainment and family fun will be on offer. 

It is the Balloon Carnival event that was the inspiration behind the hospice’s unique Build-A-Balloon Campaign, where supporters can sponsor a panel on our unique Nightingale hot air balloon. 

It is hoped the finished balloon, emblazoned with panels of images, illustrations, messages of love, good wishes and hopes and memories will take centre stage at this year’s summer event*.

Sarah Povey, Event Organiser for Nightingale House, said: “We are eager to start putting our plans in place, as we are confident that we will be able to go ahead with this year’s event, following government guidelines. 

"This Oswestry Balloon Carnival will be incredibly special for everyone involved in fundraising for the hospice, as it will mark the first participant event for Nightingale House since early 2020. We hope that as always the public will support us and mark the date in their diaries as a great community event to look forward to.”

* If you would like to sponsor a panel on the Nightingale House Hot Air Balloon you can reserve your spot via www.nightingalehouse.co.uk/event/build-a-balloon/