The ninth annual edition of a Crosskeys music festival, held in memory of a Glastonbury lover who died from cancer in 2015, has raised over £11,000 for a local community farm.

The first Glastonselfy festival was held in 2015 in memory of Glastonbury-loving Leanne Self, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer in the same year.

Since the first festival was held as an indoor event at Newbridge Rugby Club, the festival has grown in size with this year’s edition – the eighth to be held – being held outdoors at Crosskeys Rugby Club.

The festival proved to be yet another success this year with £11,350 being raised for Wellies Farm in Newport, which supports disabled children and young adults.

Jayne Jeremiah, who organises the festival along with a group of volunteers, presented the cheque to the local farm on Saturday, August 3.

The money raised from the festival will be used to organise ‘Selfy Saturdays’ at the farm, which will give children and young adults with additional learning needs the opportunity to spend time with their family meeting animals, gardening and participating in forest school activities.

The farm has also recently opened an accessible apiary which gives the children and young adults an opportunity to look after the bees. The apiary was opened on the day of the cheque presentation by Heart Radio DJ Chris Woods.

The two-day festival, which was attended by 1500 people, kicked off with a reggae, punk and ska night on Friday, June 28, before an array of tribute acts and musicians took to the festival’s two stages for a day of music on Saturday, June 29.

Tribute acts to the likes of Taylor Swift, Tina Turner, Meat Loaf, and Rod Stewart were showcased at the festival, while a number of local bands were hosted on the ‘Selfy Stage’, named in memory of Leanne.

Children and families were also kept entertained at the festival with offerings including a fun fair, inflatables, circus skills sessions, and arts and crafts.

Commenting on the event’s success, Mrs Jeremiah said that: “I am totally overwhelmed at how much the festival has grown over the years and how people keep returning year after year to support us.”

She added her thanks to the venue Crosskeys Rugby Club for becoming ‘Glastonselfy’s home’, as well as to the volunteers, known as the Selfy Squad, who help to set up and organise the festival. Bands and singers who attended the festival were also thanked by Mrs Jeremiah.

Glastonselfy is set to return to Crosskeys next year on Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28, with organisers promising an ‘extra special’ event for the festival’s tenth anniversary. Tickets will be on sale from Sunday, September 1.