Brownstock Festival’s decision to partner with the Angelus Foundation follows a fatal incident at last year’s festival involving a “legal high” unclassified substance. Organisers have vowed to do what they can to make sure people know the risks associated with substances of this type.

Brownstock Festival has worked with both the foundation and the local council to arrange two talks in nearby schools, The Plume and the William de Ferrers. One of the Angelus Foundation’s Advisory Group will be talking to students and answering questions about the risks associated with unclassified substances.

Additionally earlier in the year Brownstock teamed up with 26 festivals (including Glastonbury) to take part in The Angelus Foundation’s “Don’t be in the dark” campaign where for 24 hours visitors to all the participating festival’s websites saw nothing but a light bulb and the message, “Don’t be in the dark about legal highs”. Additionally festivals posted this message in social media, and followed the post with a pact of 24 hours silence. The campaign received vast coverage with a combined social media audience of all the participating events being 8.9 million.

The charity will also be providing advice to the Brownstock team in the run up to the event, and will be on site during the weekend.

Adam Brown from Brownstock Festival said: “We spent a long time looking for a charity to partner with that were truly dedicated to doing everything they can to raise awareness in this area and it is just great to be working with Angelus. What occurred last year was just so sad and with this partnership we hope to help give as many of our festival attendees, and young people in the area as much information as possible about the dangers.”

Maryon Stewart, founder of Angelus said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with Brownstock to raise awareness of the potential dangers of legal highs. We are determined to get the message across that their legal status does not make them safe. We are working to break those myths and change perceptions. Festivals clearly have a responsibility with audience safety and it is fantastic that Brownstock are taking such a strong lead.”

Brownstock festival which is in its 10th year and welomes 6000 visitors takes place on the 29th – 31st August 2014 at Stow Maries, Essex.

The Angelus Foundation was founded in 2009 by Maryon Stewart, the well-known health practitioner, author and broadcaster. Her daughter Hester a medical student and athlete, passed away after consuming a ‘legal high’ in April 2009. The Foundation has since attracted a group of world-class experts, known as the Angelus Advisory Group, who bring together expertise which aims to help reduce the harm ‘legal highs’ cause to young people, their families and save lives.All information about the Angelus Foundation can be found on their website . They also offer safety messages and films to young people through www.whynotfindout.org