We were upset and dismayed to read recent news stories relating to historic, discriminatory booking practices employed by Pontins holiday parks. We are pleased that this issue has been discovered and acknowledged, and that Pontins have signed up to a major overhaul of their Equalities policies, practices and training in the form of a legally binding document with the Equality & Human Rights Commission. These kind of practices have no place in an equitable and progressive society.

You can read the full statement from the EHRC here:

https://equalityhumanrights.com/en/our-work/news/pontins-owner-signs-legal-agreement-prevent-race-discrimination

Fuelled By Cider have held a number of successful events at Pontins holiday parks with more under contract for the coming year. We are one of many outside event organisers working with Pontins, and were completely unaware of these booking practices. As an outside event organiser, we have full control over our ticket sales and never have Pontins sought to influence which guests we admit to our festivals.

Discriminatory working practices were enacted by senior management and forced upon some sections of the call centre workforce. We do not believe that the majority of Pontins workers were involved or hold discriminatory views towards Travellers or people of Irish descent, and we know first hand that many of them are mortified at these revelations which they had no previous knowledge of.

The question of boycotting Pontins as an event venue has been raised on social media and we feel it is an important issue to consider and address. Boycott campaigns are essentially employed in one of two ways, either to close down a business or institution entirely, or to force it to acknowledge its negative practices and bring about positive change.

A successful boycott of Pontins for the first reason, i.e. closing down 6 large holiday parks across the UK, would create a significant amount of job losses for largely low paid workers in precarious employment at a time of already huge economic uncertainty. The effect on local businesses and communities would be devastating. It would also end enjoyable, low cost holidays for tens of thousands of families, predominantly working class and often from marginalised groups such as the elderly.

The aims of the second strategy are in fact on their way to being achieved, with Pontins having accepted the ruling and now enshrining equalities into their future business practices. We agree that this has not been an acceptable journey to achieve this end (Pontins management should have identified and dealt with this long before the involvement of EHRC, and of course it should never have been happening in the first place). However we believe that an investigation of those responsible and legally binding commitment to genuine change, alongside the protection of jobs, is the best overall outcome. We hope it will also serve to bring about change within the wider hospitality industry, which is now facing similar questions.

Removing your booking or refusing to perform is a personal choice that we fully respect as an organisation. However we feel that an organised boycott would adversely affect the majority of people who rely on Pontins for employment and affordable family holidays. Our experience with the Pontins staff has been wholly positive and we would rather assist them to reach the standards that they have now set themselves.

Fuelled By Cider are proud to have developed through a distinctly grassroots / DIY / community ethos – putting people at the forefront of everything we do, whether that be ticket holders, performers, crew, suppliers or contractors. We put on accessible and inclusive events and pride ourselves on creating a safe space for a diversity of people and their views. We will not hide from issues such as discrimination, and are committed to educating ourselves and our partner organisations to ensure that situations like these are never repeated. We will continue to monitor the situation at Pontins on an ongoing basis and respond accordingly.

We look forward to seeing you at our all of our events, at Pontins and beyond. We welcome your thoughts and can be contacted at help @ fuelledby.com

For the One Big Family.

Fuelled By Cider

** Sunset On The West Update **

Thank you all for your comments, suggestions and support over the last week since our initial statement regarding Sunset On The West Festival in October.

A huge thanks too, to the performers and ticket holders who have communicated with us and shown patience regarding our long term strategy. These are complex issues that need consideration and should not be rushed.

We have not stood still since our initial statement. Instead we have been looking at all possible scenarios and ways to find a positive and meaningful way forward. Below are the main points - we hope you will give them the consideration and open mind that we think they deserve. There is an alternative to cancellation, disappointment and further exclusion and division, and we hope that you will join us in the next part of the journey.

In the last week we have reached out to a wide range of individuals, performers and organisations in some way associated with different Traveller communities. This was to seek opinion, advice and wisdom on the situation and how FBC should best respond. Our ears were open to supportive and critical opinions. We explained that as we were fully contracted to the event (to the extent that pulling out would threaten the entire future of FBC) we were seeking to continue and use it as a platform to raise the issues of discrimination, and also celebrate the communities and cultures that had been so disrespected. The format for this we were happy to be guided on but music, art, public information and discussion were at the forefront of our ideas.

The response so far has been entirely positive. Three musical acts from Irish / Traveller backgrounds have already agreed to join the line-up (with more anticipated), with the express rationale that they wish to participate and educate rather than marginalise or exclude themselves even further. One of these is Thomas McCarthy, a hugely respected performer whose Irish Traveller heritage and commitment to education is second to none: https://www.thomasmccarthyfolk.com/

We have received the backing of national charity Friends, Families & Travellers, whose remit is to "work on behalf of all Gypsies, Travellers and Roma regardless of ethnicity, culture or background". Positive collaboration with them will begin at some point soon. Two other national representative organisations have thanked us for our support and asked people to focus on the EHRC legal agreement which Pontins are enacting. This will ensure that equalities are enshrined in their future practices and ethos. None of these groups have expressed any opposition to our event continuing, or suggested that a public boycott would be helpful to their cause. We highlighted the importance of conciliation and the EHRC agreement over a boycott in our initial public statement, and we stand by that.

Our focus is now fully on using the festival as a platform for inclusion, education and celebration, with guidance and positive ideas encouraged from our performers and ticket holders. More detailed information will be announced in due course. It will also continue to be a place of FUN at a time we so desperately need it.

We are humbled to have received the support of so many performers around the issue and our plan going forwards. We will leave it to them to announce their intentions individually but we believe in the collective strength of the music community (performers and audiences) to heal divisions and effect positive change.

We respect that people have different views on these issues and we do not seek to impose ours on anyone. We believe that dialogue and constructive solutions are a better alternative to conflict and division.

To everyone who has messaged us in the last few days - we will reply to you all very soon. It has been a busy time and we appreciate your ongoing patience.

Love and respect,

Mike, Kev and the Fuelled By Cider Crew

xxx