‘Taylor Swift’, ‘Ed Sheeran’, Reading Football Club and more made Prior’s Court’s annual music festival a day to remember for Prior’s Court young people, their families, staff members, and alumni.

Our annual Let Me Shine music festival made a return on Monday, 4 May with young people and their families, staff members and their families, and previous young people who attended Prior’s Court and their families all invited to enjoy the day.

As the autistic young people with complex needs we support are unlikely to ever be able to attend a music festival, this annual event empowers them to access such an experience on their terms.

The event retains a music festival experience, but now has a broader range of activities to it, as to appeal to as many young people as possible. Attractions this year included inflatables, facepainting, a circus skills workshop, an animal handling experience, a climbing wall, an ice cream van, roaming entertainers, and, of course, live music which this year featured Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran tribute acts.

There was also a van supplying barbecue food, and a coffee and cakes van, to keep guests fed and watered. Meanwhile, our Therapies team provided a sensory tent for young people and other guests who needed somewhere to get away from the hustle and bustle.

As ever, young people’s families were invited to attend to share the festival experience as a family unit in a supportive setting. Our staff members could also bring their families along, while past Prior’s Court young people (our alumni) and their families could were invited to enjoy the day.

Read how we work to make the event autism-friendly

Are you an alumni family? Get in touch

Thank you to our suppliers

A massive thank you to the following suppliers who helped to put on the festival:

• Up in Smoke BBQs for supplying a barbecue food van
• Butterfly Community Cafe CIC and its coffee/ cake van
• Every Bounce Counts which supplied inflatable activities and a facepainter
• Spirit of the Wild which provided animal experiences
• 270 Climbing for providing a hugely popular mobile climbing wall
• Reading FC Community Trust for providing an inflatable football darts game
• Airstream Stages for the stage hire
• Our incredible tribute acts:
  • The Sum of Sheeran
  • Lauren G as Taylor Swift
• GP Marquees for the tent hire
• St John Ambulance as our additional first aiders
• Sir Whippy's ice cream van
• Loos for Do's portaloo supplier
• Nova Events for its roaming entertainers
• 2nd Chieveley Scouts for providing a stall

Thank you to our staff members

All staff members at Prior's Court make this event happen, ranging from organising the whole day, providing person-power to set up and pack down the event, supporting young people to attend, running the sensory tent, bakery stall and Prior's Court fundriaising information stall, chaperoning suppliers and more.

Donation thanks

Supporters of our Enriching Experiences appeal help make the annual Let Me Shine music festival a memorable day for the young people we support, as well as helping to bring other events to Prior's Court throughout the year.

Donate to the appeal