Joe GallopThe 2022 edition of Tramlines festival (cap. 40,000) at Hillsborough Park brought more than £3.8m to the local Sheffield economy, according to an independent economic report.
The Tramlines Trust, launched in Spring 2022, has given out 42 funding grants totalling more than £30,000 with more than £10,000 going directly to businesses in Hillsborough.
The report, commissioned with Bluegrass Research and Sheffield City Council, showed the total £3.8m sum included £500,000 given to the Tramlines Fringe and free activities in the city centre since 2009.
This year’s edition raised more than £50,000 for charity which went to the Tramlines Trust, Hillsborough Primary School, the NSPCC and The Sarah Nulty Power of Music Foundation (named after the former Tramlines director).
This brings the total raised since 2018 to over £150,000 with a 54% rise in charity donations between 2021 and 2022. The event donated more than 350 tickets this year to Tickets for Good, Sheffield Young Carers and other local charities.
Tramlines operations director Timm Cleasby said, “When Sarah took over as festival director, we, as a team, had many discussions about how Tramlines could keep giving back to the community and supporting Sheffield no matter how the event evolved. The Tramlines Trust builds on these early initiatives and now supports a huge amount of Sheffield charities, businesses, artists and projects. Sheffield is our home and carrying on the great work that the Tramlines founders started to support Sheffield is a big priority for us all.”
Martin Smith, chair of the Economic Development and Skills Policy Committee, Sheffield City Council, said, “Tramlines Festival is arguably the most exciting weekend of Sheffield’s events calendar attracting huge talent to the city, bringing millions into our local economy and putting on a fantastic show for our residents and visitors. As Tramlines has grown over the years, organisers have always been keen and committed to giving back to Sheffield’s communities.”
The Sarah Nulty Power of Music Foundation chair of trustees Julie Voisey said, “Tramlines Festival is not only about fun, but also giving back to our community which is why, here in Sheffield, it is valued so highly and is an intrinsic part of the culture of our city.”