Tom HallSheffield’s city-based music festival, Tramlines, has donated over £30k to charities including Weston Park Cancer Charity, Cavendish Cancer Care and Crohn’s & Colitis UK.
Each charity was chosen due to their personal connection to members of the Tramlines team; the late Festival Director Sarah Nulty and long-time Tramlines supporter, Sam Cleasby, who is an influential voice for Crohn’s & Colitis sufferers.
Various fundraising streams were set up at the Tramlines 10th Anniversary in 2018 including guest list donations, merchandise and bar spends.
Friends and colleagues of Sarah Nulty will continue to raise money for the cancer charities as they embark on the Sheffield Half Marathon on 14 April – over £4,000 has been raised so far and the team are calling for further donations via the My Donate page.
Nulty has also been honoured by local publication ‘The Star’ who have created the ‘Sarah Nulty award for Creativity’ in their newly launched Women of Sheffield Awards.
Nulty was director at Tramlines Festival from 2013 – 2018, and sadly passed away at the age of 36 just weeks before she saw her hard work become a reality in the festival’s 10th anniversary event.
Nulty was instrumental in the launch of Tramlines in 2009, coordinating venues and handling bookings and later working in the commercial department.
During Tramlines 2018, money was raised in ‘Nulty’s Bar’, a backstage area voluntarily staffed by her friends and colleagues. Funds were also raised through guestlist donations and by merchandise sold on site including the now iconic ‘BeMoreNulty’ t-shirts.
The result of this fundraising has led to Weston Park Cancer Charity and Cavendish Cancer Care receiving over £14,000 each. This money will be spent on research and resources for these charities that do so much good work in Sheffield.
Danielle Gigg, festival producer at Tramlines said: “It’s been great to raise so much money for two charities that worked closely with Sarah and did so much for her. It’s amazing to see her legacy live on in the city in lots of different ways. The gap in my life since she passed will always be there, but watching people continue to celebrate her is a real comfort”.
Funds raised at Tramlines 2018 have also been shared with a third body, Crohn’s & Colitis UK, a charity dedicated to fighting inflammatory bowel disease. This charity was nominated by Timm Cleasby, head of operations at Tramlines since 2009, as his wife Sam Cleasby has become an influential voice for Crohn’s & Colitis sufferers through her massively popular ‘So Bad Ass’ website, promoting body positivity and better understanding of these conditions for people across the globe.
Cleasby added: “Sarah and I had discussed which charities we would support in 2018, in late 2017. It was her suggestion that led to Crohn’s & Colitis UK being chosen as one of them. Having visited all three charities, it’s great to see first-hand just how the money we have raised will benefit these amazing local charities and so many people of South Yorkshire. Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are often said to be invisible impairments as those living with them face stigma and embarrassment. It’s great to see the change in people now discussing this openly and honestly. Crohn’s & Colitis UK are at the forefront of this working to support and connect people living with the conditions, finding new treatments, and hopefully a cure”.
Cavendish Cancer Care and Weston Park Cancer Charity are also due to receive another donation from friends and colleagues of Sarah Nulty who are running the Sheffield Half Marathon on 14 April. ‘The Most Unlikely Marathon Team Ever’ is formed of various Sheffield music industry workers and £4k has already been pledged to the team, but they are hoping to raise at least £5k. To donate to their efforts, use this page https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/bemorenulty.
Nulty’s friend and colleague, Tim Walker, commented: “Sarah worked with so many people in Sheffield’s music and events industry over the years, many of whom become good friends. Naturally, these people wanted a way to come together and do something positive in her name for the causes who helped her and her loved ones, so that they can continue to do such great work. Sarah was fantastic at motivating and bringing people together, often pushing people out of their comfort zones. So we’ve assembled a rag-tag bunch of DJs, promoters and festival organisers to form the most unlikely marathon team ever, most of whom have never run in their lives but are now training hard.”
Since Sarah Nulty’s passing last year, she has been bestowed with many posthumous awards and memorials. This includes an ‘Outstanding Contribution Award’ from both AIF (Association of Independent Festivals) and the UK Festival Awards, who also created the ‘Sarah Nulty Women in Festivals Award’.
Sheffield City Council paid homage with a memorial plaque at Devonshire Green in Sheffield City Centre, and a Civic Award from the Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Magid Magid.
On 7 March 2019, The Star (Sheffield based publication) launched their ‘Women of Sheffield’ awards. They created the ‘Sarah Nulty award for Creativity’ in respect to her dedication to the music industry of Sheffield. The first winner of this award was Vicky Morris who was presented the award by Sarah’s mum, Julie Voisey.
Tramlines Festival will continue its commitment to supporting local charities and causes during the 2019 event.
