Addaction community recovery champions and volunteers are organising a special festival of hope in Truro’s Boscawen Park between noon and 5pm on Saturday, August 20.

The Hope Festival, which will be formally opened by the mayor, Rob Nolan, offers a wide range of activities for all the family, including music performance by bands Mudsticks and Addaction’s Hopefully Synchronised, circus skills workshops and hair braiding and a special performance of children’s story The Ugly Duckling.

“The aim of the festival is to celebrate how people come through adversity and treatment and flourish “said Tracy Smith, Addaction’s community engagement lead. “There is hope in recovery and we want to increase awareness among members of the public and show there is hope for anyone who struggles with substance misuse.

“Entry to the festival is free and we want as many people as possible to come along and enjoy the afternoon.”

As well as the circus skills workshops and hair up-dos and braiding, there will also be face painting and a bouncy castle, and a range of stalls, including food and home-made cakes. There will be short testimonials of hope by volunteers and staff who have come through the service.

The event is substance free and no alcohol will be on sale or will be allowed to be brought in to the festival.

People are being asked to use the park-and-ride or park in the car parks around the city and walk down to Boscawen Park.