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VICTORIOUS FESTIVAL PUTS PORTSMOUTH ON THE MAP!
• Economic impact of £15,525,675 • Victorious donates £53,600 to charities • Increased visitors spend of £235.44 pp per night.
Multi-award-winning Victorious Festival (26/27/28 August 2022) – reflects on another year of bringing a multitude of lasting benefits to the city and putting Portsmouth on the map for those from further afield. The stats are in; Victorious has continued to improve the perception of the city, with over 42% of this year’s attendees* stating that they would return to Portsmouth in the future. We can already see the impact that the 2022 edition of the festival is having: this year’s impressive line-up announcement of Brit Award winners and household names has already resulted in increased interest in the region with Google searches for Southsea up 27% in the few days directly following the announcement.
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*Victorious 2021 welcomed 73,220 individual attendees to the event, with 73% coming from outside of the Portsmouth District
The annual event has its economic impact measured by an independent company each year, and the 2021 edition of the festival contributed an economic impact of £15,525,675. This is around £2m more than was seen in 2019, and has been driven by an increase of £12.43 in average daily spend to £146.67. Local business such as restaurants, shops, hotels, and other local attractions have all benefited from visitors spending time in the city outside of event hours, and with the generous re-entry policy, visitors are able to explore and enjoy the city throughout the event days too. In addition, the event bolsters the local economy further by providing many local employment opportunities. Not only is the event run on a day to day basis by a team of locals, but it also employs hundreds of local people to deliver the festival. As well as the obvious economic benefits of this, it also provides rare employment opportunities in the
creative, cultural, and music sector. A sector Portsmouth is experiencing real growth opportunity in, partly due to the attention, skills, and financial benefits the festival brings. Portsmouth Create’s event We Shine Portsmouth is a fantastic example of this. Without Victorious’ skilled staff volunteering time and expertise to the event, along with a financial contribution, We Shine could not have happened. We Shine Event Organiser, Billie Coe said; “Getting We Shine off the ground has been a huge undertaking and without the likes of Victorious stepping forward to support us in the way they did, I don’t think the event would have happened this year. I’m incredibly proud of what the Victorious Team achieved, and look forward to working with them again on We Shine 2022” The economic benefits don’t stop there. Victorious recently revealed their annual charity contribution. An impressive £53,600 was donated by Victorious to charitable causes across the city including: The Elizabeth Foundation, Enable Ability, The Hive, The Groundlings, The Royal Naval Association, Portsmouth Young Carers/Carers Centre, EC Roberts, Meon Milton Football Club, Motiv8, Baffins Pond Association, Pompey Pensioners, Second Chance Portsmouth Cats, Arms Around The Child, and Tonic Music For Mental Health.
The team are always looking for new ways to support local businesses, and this year they have announced a new area in the festival titled Neighbourhood Eats which will showcase local independent caterers and pop-ups, and offers subsidised pitches to help local businesses make the most of the festival trading opportunity on their doorstep. Last year was a particularly challenging year for the country, with the pandemic impacting businesses and industries, but also impacting people’s mental health and daily lives. An overwhelming 75% of attendees last year reported that Victorious had a positive impact on their health and wellbeing. The festival acted as a release and reunion for people after a year of cancelled or postponed events and time away from family and friends. The annual donations, local engagement and economic impact showcases Victorious Festival’s commitment to community and wish to be part of helping to create a better city for everyone to enjoy. Festival Director, James Ralls said; “We’re proud to be a part of the Portsmouth community and are delighted to have been able to make a significant contribution to the local economy, especially in light of the additional challenges and costs the pandemic incurred. It was so great to be able to put on an event last year and see customers enjoying all the things we love about Victorious Festival: the opportunity to get together and experience live music while dancing and singing with our loved ones. We are busy working on next year’s event and remain confident next year’s results will see even more benefits for the city. We can’t wait for Summer and look forward to welcoming festivalgoers from Portsmouth and beyond”
Victorious Festival is the ultimate family friendlyexperience. With Friday tickets currently available from £45 a day it continues to be one of the best value festivals in the UK.
Friday 26th August – 1pm-11pm* Saturday 27th August – 10am-11pm Sunday 28th August – 10am-11pm For tickets and details go to: www.victoriousfestival.co.uk
* Please note all ticket prices are per day. Booking & Transaction fees apply. * Restricted site access - event includes Common Stage Arena and Seaside Stage Arena. Families welcome but please note, there will be no Kids Arena.
THE SIMPLE SOLUTION
If you have been to the doctor recently to discuss
any discomfort, or hearing loss, due to excessive ear wax, you may have been disappointed to discover that most doctors no longer offer routine ear syringing. “Even pre COVID, doctors were becoming increasingly reluctant to offer ear syringing or irrigation, in part due to it being not as safe as microsuction, but also there is no longer any NHS funding for ear wax issues, and GPs are not required to provide it as one of their core services,” explained Becky Guarracino of Southsea Ear Clinic. “In order to put people’s minds at rest, people can book a short, free, ear wax examination along with a general check up of the ear canal. Often the issue is simply blocked ears, but occasionally the issue is not wax, in which case I can advise the best course of action or refer the patient to their GP. I also have a video otoscope that not only allows patients to see inside their own ears (if they want to), but it also allows me to capture images to send to their GP for further advice,” said Becky, who has a degree in Audiology from Southampton University. Becky has also worked for the NHS for many years, before setting up her own practice at The Remedi Clinic in Marmion Road – opposite Victoriana. “Microsuction has transformed the process of wax removal. It’s a very gentle process, especially compared to the previous method of flushing the ear with water, which carries a greater risk of damaging the ear canal or ear drum. Plus, the use of a proper ENT (ears, nose, throat) binocular microscope gives the best view of the ear. At Southsea Ear Clinic our equipment is just the same as what you’d find in the ENT department of a hospital. To make the treatment as comfortable as possible, we ask that patients use olive oil (such as Earol) in their ears three days before their appointment at the clinic. However, if there is a reason why somebody does not want to use oil beforehand, this can be discussed,” said Becky. “We are constantly looking at ways of making the service more available to more people. Currently, I’m at the clinic for 3 days a week, all day Monday and at different times on Wednesday and Saturday, but I’m also making home visits on the other days of the week, which is proving popular with people who are house bound, or who would simply prefer to be treated in the comfort of their own home”. So should people go to their doctors if they suspect ear wax is causing problems with hearing or they are in pain? “Yes, that’s still an option, but the doctor may not be able to offer a quick solution. You will probably be advised to use some form of ear drops for several weeks and if that did not solve the issue and you were experiencing ongoing issues with hearing loss or pain, you might need a referral to the hospital for microsuction, which may take several months before you are seen. Or you might simply come to Southsea Ear Clinic and get the problem resolved straight away,” said Becky. The Southsea Ear Clinic Ltd 71 Marmion Road, Southsea PO5 2AX Tel:02393 810 720 southseaearclinic.co.uk
Becky Guarracino