A music festival in Crawley will raise money to buy ingredients and presents that the Greenaway Foundation will deliver to families struggling with the cost of Christmas. Greenaway Live takes place at Crawley Rugby Club from 15:00 BST on Saturday, and ticket sales will support the charity's festive programme across Kent, Sussex and Surrey.
The foundation supplies ingredients for a two-course Christmas dinner and runs a scheme in which children from low-income families make a "make a wish for a Christmas present" that the charity delivers on Christmas Eve. Organisers expect to support over 1,000 families in 2026.
Darren Greenaway, who founded the charity, said the Christmas project was "getting bigger and bigger, so this year we need to raise about £200,000". He described emotional responses when deliveries arrive, saying some parents will "break down and cry when we turn up and make the delivery".
Greenaway Live debuted in 2025. The festival's second edition will be streamed on the charity's social media platforms, extending reach beyond the Crawley audience. Artists performing have donated their time, a gesture Greenaway likened to "a mini Live Aid".
Organisers say the event both raises funds and builds visibility for the foundation's work, which combines food support with gift deliveries timed for Christmas Eve. The festival model reduces the charity's reliance on conventional appeals by packaging fundraising and outreach into a single public event.
Greenaway also noted the personal investment behind the festival, saying he tried to arrange the first event while on his honeymoon. With ticket revenue and streamed donations planned to fund operations, the charity is already planning towards next year.
The immediate next step is the Crawley event, with proceeds earmarked for the £200,000 fundraising target and delivery logistics for the 2026 programme. If ticket sales and online support meet expectations, the foundation will scale its deliveries to reach the projected 1,000-plus families.
