Supporting Our Community Through Cheese
The Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival is far more than a celebration of great food. At its heart, the festival exists to support charities, community groups, and local organisations that make a real difference across Dorset and the surrounding areas.
Since the festival began, the event has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for good causes. Every ticket purchased, every cheese toastie enjoyed, and every stall visited helps generate funds that are reinvested back into the community.
Our Impact
The festival has grown into one of the most important community fundraising events in the region.
- £450,000+ donated to charities and community projects
- 100% volunteer organised and run
- Thousands of visitors supporting local causes every year
These contributions help support a wide range of organisations including local charities, youth groups, schools, emergency services, and community initiatives.
KEEPING THE FESTIVAL AFFORDABLE
One of our key aims is to keep ticket prices as low as possible, so that as many people as possible can enjoy a fantastic day out at the Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival.
We want the festival to remain a community event that is accessible to everyone—families, local residents, visitors, and cheese lovers alike.
Your ticket plays an important role in making the event possible. The income from ticket sales helps cover the essential costs of running the festival, including site infrastructure, safety measures, facilities, entertainment, and event management.
Because the festival is run as a not-for-profit event by volunteers, any funds remaining after these running costs are covered are donated back into the community as grants.
These grants are awarded to local charities, community groups, and organisations, helping to support projects that benefit people across the area.
By buying a ticket, you are not only enjoying a brilliant day filled with cheese, food, music, and entertainment—you are also helping us support local causes and strengthen our community.
POWERED BY VOLUNTEERS
The Cheese Festival operates under the umbrella of the Sturminster Newton Rotary Club and is delivered by a joint committee of Rotarians and local townsfolk. Every person involved gives their time voluntarily, driven by a shared commitment to creating an event that benefits the whole community.
The festival simply would not exist without its volunteers. Each year, a dedicated team works tirelessly behind the scenes and across the event weekend to help organise and run the festival.
From early planning and logistics to stewarding, ticketing, and supporting traders, volunteers are at the centre of everything we do. Their hard work helps the festival run safely, smoothly, and successfully, while keeping costs as low as possible so that more funds can be returned to charitable causes and local community projects.
SUPPORTING LOCAL PRODUCERS
While charity is the core purpose of the festival, we are also passionate about celebrating local food, charity, craft, and artisan producers.
The festival provides a platform for independent cheesemakers, food producers, and rural businesses to showcase their products to thousands of visitors. By supporting these producers, the festival helps sustain traditional skills, local agriculture, and small businesses.
A COMMUNITY CELEBRATION
The Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival brings together people of all ages to enjoy great food, live music, demonstrations, and family. But beyond the entertainment, it is also a celebration of community spirit.
Visitors, traders, volunteers, and sponsors all play a part in helping the festival achieve its charitable mission.
Together, we turn a shared love of cheese into something much bigger: lasting support for the organisations and communities that need it most.