"Genuinely life-changing" - Victorious Festival surpasses £1m in charitable donations
The festival's charitable arm, Victorious in the Community, supports local good causes throughout the year, with this year's donations taking its total past the magic million figure
More than £1million in charitable donations has been given by Victorious Festival in an impressive landmark figure.
This year’s contribution of more than £78,000 to local good causes, made in partnership with Portsmouth City Council, helping take its total past the magic million figure given since the event’s inception .
Charity partners and community organisations celebrated at a special afternoon tea in the Lord Mayor’s Parlour on Thursday afternoon (September 24). Current Lord Mayor Councillor Abdul Kadir presented cheques on behalf of the Portsmouth-based festival team and recognised the people turning those donations into widespread, lasting support.
From bringing music therapy to children in hospital to helping young people facing homelessness, the milestone reflects years of giving by a festival firmly rooted in Portsmouth which first began in 2012 at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
Among those attending was Amy O’Shaughnessy, co-founder of the Park Gate-based charity George’s Rockstars and George’s mum. Established in his memory, the charity is one of Victorious’ main charity partners and brings music therapy to children in hospital.
Inspired by George’s own experience, its work creates moments of happiness and connection for children and families facing some of their most difficult days. For a festival built around bringing people together through music, helping that same joy reach children in hospital is a particularly meaningful way to give back.
This year, George’s Rockstars teamed up with Strong Island Clothing Co. and Danger Danger to create a limited-edition Victorious collaboration T-shirt. Sold at the festival, with all profits going to George’s Rockstars, it gave festival goers another way to support the charity and take a little of that community spirit home.
Amy said: “Victorious Festival’s support is genuinely life-changing for the children we work with. Music can lift spirits, reduce anxiety and help children express emotions they can’t put into words.
“This partnership is a powerful commitment to using music to change lives.”
Across the Portsmouth area, this year’s donations are also supporting causes that touch many different parts of community life, from creativity and inclusion to children’s learning and access to sport.
Beneficiaries include Portsmouth Pride Trust, which champions the LGBTQ+ community and creates welcoming spaces where people can celebrate and feel they belong, and Portsmouth Creates CIC, which supports local creative talent and helps more people access arts and culture.
Victorious also supported This New Ground, which enables people with learning disabilities to lead, make and participate in the arts. The festival contributed to its grant fund and provided photography and videography for its Pivot Festival at Aspex in May, helping capture and celebrate the artists’ work.
For local families, support includes Connor’s Toy Library, a longstanding member of the Victorious community, which provides access to toys, play opportunities and a welcoming network for parents, carers and children.
The festival also backed Portsmouth School Library Service, which hosted the Roar About Reading Live space at this year’s event, and the Summer Reading Challenge, encouraging children to discover books and keep reading throughout the holidays.
A donation to Mary Rose Academy will contribute towards refurbishing the school’s swimming pool, helping invest in a resource for its pupils, while support for Pompey Pedals, part of Pompey in the Community, will help make cycling accessible to more people.
Other beneficiaries include Red Squirrel OT CIC, which offers compassionate, practical support to people affected by hoarding, and Step by Step, which helps young people facing homelessness and other challenges work towards stability and independence.
For the local team behind Victorious, giving back is personal. Portsmouth is where they live, work and bring the festival to life each summer. Through Victorious in the Community, that connection continues year-round, helping the city share in the success of one of its biggest celebrations.
The festival’s impact also reaches beyond the city and its surrounding area, through its decade-long partnership with Arms Around The Child. Global Director Ellie Milner joined the celebration to mark a relationship supporting vulnerable children and families in Ghana, India and South Africa.
Victorious’ support has contributed towards completing the Christian Atsu School in Senya Beraku, Ghana, building a safe home for children living with HIV in Jaipur, and establishing Fund A Mom programmes in India and Ghana, helping mothers living in poverty develop sustainable livelihoods and keep their families safe and together.
At Victorious, the charity curates and runs the World Music Village, bringing performers and cultures from around the world to Portsmouth while raising funds and awareness for its work.
Ellie Milner said: “For the past ten years, Victorious Festival has stood alongside Arms Around The Child, helping us transform the lives of vulnerable children and families in Ghana, India and South Africa.
“Through the World Music Village and the People’s Lounge, the festival gives us an invaluable platform to bring people together through music, showcase brilliant performers and cultures from around the world, and raise awareness of children and communities who might otherwise be forgotten.
“Their support over the past decade has enabled us to create lasting change, giving children and families greater safety, opportunity and hope for the future.”
The Victorious in the Community team said it takes pride in sharing that success with the community they call home, supporting charities, local projects and opportunities that make a difference throughout the year.
It said alongside the visitors and opportunities, the festival weekend brings to Portsmouth with partnerships to ensure its impact continues long after the stages come down on Southsea Common.
Victorious Festival 2027 takes place on August 27 to 29. For more details visit www.victoriousfestival.co.uk