Reading Festival 2009 By ActionAid's Bllocks to Poverty competition winner Gavin Topley

After possibly the best weekend ever, music moguls Gigwise have asked me to write a round up for them, and its the least I can do. So here goes...

Reading Festival was a real eye opener for me this weekend.  Armed with a guest area pass, some laminated props, and the knowledge that when world leaders meet in Copenhagen in December, this really could be D Day on climate change, I was all set.  I really hoped that I would come across people who actually and genuinely gave a damn about climate change, and its knock on for people living in abject poverty around the world.  

Do you know what?  I was not disappointed!

From their enthusiasm, energy, commitment to giving people a good time and all around general aesthetic qualities, you might liken ActionAid's 'BOLLOCKS TO POVERTY' team and volunteers to a bunch of socially and environmentally conscious club 18-30 reps.  

Not only were these kids fun, but they meant business, using their passion and motivation to sign up literally thousands of revellers to ActionAid’s FOOD VS DUST CLIMATE CAMPAIGN and to photo petition to the UK GOVERNMENT.

But it was not only us common folk who are passionate that the status quo MUST be challenged.  I don't think that all weekend I met a celebrity that could be described as apathetic, and I'm usually pretty discerning.

I could name drop the people I met from OLLIE SYKES of BRING ME THE HORIZON, CHRIS BARKER from ANTI-FLAG to the guys from THE PLIGHT and BRIAN MOLKO from PLACEBO- who just might be the loveliest man I’ve ever met, saying he would do anything he could to help ActionAid’s campaign before giving me a big hug!

ALEXA CHUNG took time out from being mobbed by fans to hear about our campaign and pose for those all important petition pics, whilst PIXIE GELDOF got a bit camera shy but admitted to owning BOLLOCKS TO POVERTY T-shirts. Friend and T4 presenter Rick Edwards stepped in to fill the gap.

When I heard HARRY POTTER star DANIEL RADCLIFFE was seen wandering around the guest area dressed as ZORRO, I managed to track him down and say hello- along with his mate and co-star RUPERT GRINT.

The list goes on - but one trend stands out.  Those who did not know that a 300,000 people are already dying each year from climate change or that ONE BILLION people simply cannot get enough food to function, were shocked and appalled.  Those who did, understood the issues surrounding the topic and were passionate that not only are these unnecessary statistics, but that we must fight for change now!  

Something that many of the glitterati started there and then with our photo petition!

I found the experience of meeting people as insanely famous as Daniel Radcliffe or as notorious as Ollie Sykes, who would take from their down time in the guest area to chat to me more the rule than the exception.  This, combined with the general attitude of kids of all ages in the BTP tent, was heart warming, encouraging, and inspiring to say the least.  

If the bike ride I completed to win this opportunity and the people I met along the way went a long way to restoring my faith in humanity, this was the icing on the cake.  Thank you to everyone who was a part of it!

Join the FOOD VS DUST campaign now right HERE