Local heritage parks, youths in Santa Luċija and street children in the Philippines are to receive a helping hand thanks to more than €32,000 raised by volunteers at a yearly festival celebrating environmental sustainability. 

The Bubble NGO handed out cheques to six charitable organisations at an event held in Valletta. The money was raised during the 2018 edition of its yearly gathering The Bubble, which is held at Għajn Tuffieħa every September. 

Among the beneficiaries are the Gaia Foundation, which serves as custodian for Natura 2000 sites such as Għajn Tuffieħa and Ramla Bay, and Right2Smile, an NGO which promotes responsible volunteering and youth mentorship, in Malta and abroad. 

Of the money raised, €9,000 will be used by The Bubble NGO itself to cover costs related to this year's edition of the festival and help it raise even more funds for next year, organisers said. 

 “We are incredibly grateful for all the support we’ve received from individuals and companies over the years,” said The Bubble founder Duncan Fenech. “What began as a seed of an idea has blossomed into an active community that celebrates sustainability and generosity”.

The Bubble founder Duncan Fenech (right) hands a cheque to Peter Paul Galea from the Kabataan Orchestra, which runs education projects for street children in the Philippines. Photo: Jean Paul Formosa

The Bubble Festival will return this year between September 16 and 22, and in the meantime the NGO that organises it also has plans to organise a series of charitable activities aside from the end-of-summer gathering. 

“This is the second consecutive year that The Bubble is helping us,” said Right2Smile founder Damjan Attard. “Last year’s funds helped us set up a youth hub in Santa Luċija. This year’s donation will help us continue to provide youths there with mentoring and other services and leave a positive impact in their lives”. 

The Bubble Festival is built on environmentally sustainable principles such as waste reduction and 'leave no trace'. . No disposable plastic is used on site and in 2017 the festival became the first event in Malta to not send any refuse to landfill.