A North East pub is hosting its 13th ‘Glastonbury’ festival to raise money for end of life care at a nearby hospital.
The Beeswing Inn at East Cowton will stage its annual Cowtonbury music festival over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
Proceeds will support palliative care facilities at the Friarage Hospital and in the community.
Landlady Beth Robinson began the festival in 2014 after her mother, Maureen, was diagnosed with breast cancer the previous year.
What was intended as a one-off event has since become a major annual fundraiser.
Landlady Beth (right) with mum Maureen and dad Les.
(Image: THE BEESWING)
It has raised about £250,000 for charity.
The money has helped improve palliative care spaces in the Hambleton and Richmondshire area, including a family room on the Friarage’s Romanby Ward and a private “secret garden” for patients, relatives and staff.
The garden opened in 2022 after being created in memory of Beth’s father, Les.
Beth said: “I did not expect to be preparing for our 13th Cowtonbury when I had the idea all those years ago.
“It was clear to me the nurses and staff at the hospital were doing their best, but they needed a helping hand."
She added: "My father always told me, 'don’t complain unless you can do something about it’ and that’s when I had a think about what I could do to help.
“We have gone on to raise, largely through Cowtonbury, £250,000 for charity.”
The Beeswing pub in East Cowton.
(Image: Stuart Boulton)
Beth’s mother received palliative care at home above the pub, while her father spent time in the Friarage Hospital’s palliative care unit before his death in 2018.
She said the different experiences had highlighted the importance of providing families with suitable places to spend time together during difficult moments.
Beth added: "During my father’s time in palliative care, there was nowhere for families to congregate with loved ones, partly due to the rules about how many visitors can be on the ward at one time.
“We were forced to use a disused ward that had become a walkthrough for staff and visitors, and it wasn’t the experience it should have been.”
Beth added that the hospital had supported fundraising plans to provide a better environment for patients and relatives.
She said: "It’s vital to have a space for families to sit and have the conversations they need to have during difficult times.
“Thanks in part to our fundraising, the hospital has a family room and a secret garden which is beautiful and totally private.”
Cowtonbury will take place on Saturday, August 29, and Sunday, August 30, with live music, food and drink available at the village pub.
Performers will waive their stage fees to maximise the donation to charity.
Weekend tickets cost £10, while children can attend free.
The Beeswing has also been named as a finalist in PubAid’s 2026 Community Fundraising Hero category.
This recognises pubs which make an exceptional contribution to charities and good causes.