WHILE music-lovers are getting ready for a weekend of fun at an Oxfordshire festival, for many local parents the event is a far more serious business – bringing in vital funds for their children’s schools.

Up to 10,000 people are expected at the Wilderness festival, due to take place today, tomorrow and Sunday at Cornbury Park, Charlbury. Performers include Rodrigo y Gabriela and Spiritualized.

But for three schools, the festival is an opportunity to raise badly needed funds to plug the hole left by county council budget cuts.

Charlbury and Finstock primary schools are teaming up to sell tea and cakes over the weekend – and hope to top last year’s total of £8,000. Charlbury Pre-School will also be at the festival, selling hog-roast sandwiches.

Last year volunteers raised more than £4,500, 50 per cent of the pre-school’s annual fundraising.

Charlbury School Association chairman Alexandra Westbury said: “It is a tremendously important source of funding.”