Final call from Electric Picnic Lost and Found in Laois as operations wind down

The Electric Picnic Lost and Found team are winding down their operation following another successful year. 

Co-ordinator, Carmel Farrell, said the team will open the Lost and Found in the Stradbally Steam Museum for the final time this year on Saturday from 2pm to 6pm. 

“We are thinking of winding up now because we have kind of exhausted our efforts,” Carmel said. 

She is part of a wider team of volunteers who have been sorting, cataloguing and posting details of lost items online since the Electric Picnic took place in Stradbally on the last weekend in August. 

Together with the other volunteers, Carmel helped sort through hundreds of lost items including phones, bags, jewellery, clothes, keys and footwear. 

Carmel said all of the messages received by the Lost and Found which were sent through various platforms have now been answered. “Plus we have gone through the reports from the Electric Picnic QR codes, which was a new thing this year,” she explained. 

QR codes were available at the festival for people who had lost items. It allowed them to scan the code and fill out a lost item document. 

Carmel said it was difficult to quantify exactly how many lost items were reported as many people reported missing items on more than one digital platform. She said 527 items were recorded by Lost and Found over the weekend of the Electric Picnic with many more coming in after the event. There were 167 reports through the QR codes and in all she believes she received around 1,000 messages from people hoping to be reunited with lost items. 

The majority of the items have been returned to their owners but some still remain, including iphones, watches, bags, jewellery and speakers. She said items remaining include iPhones, iWatches, iPods and bags. 

IN PICTURES: Lost and Found items from Electric Picnic

Efforts have been made to contact people who could be identified through names on the lost items. In some cases, the team is waiting for labels or digital stamps to arrive so they can post back items. “We have had a great many items gone back,” said Carmel. 

She said given the amount of items returned and the drop off in messages, the team are now planning to wind down their operation on Saturday. “We won’t be having any more open days and the phone will be going inactive,” she added. 

Carmel said in cases where the owner's identity has been established, the items will be retained but in the relation to bags and other items where no owner can be established, they will likely be donated to charity. 

Carmel expressed her thanks to Mona, Anne, Mary and Alice, all who helped and especially the Lost and Found crew who worked throughout the festival.

This Saturday, October 4 is the final day to collect from the Lost and Found. The museum is not open for collections on Sunday.

All items handed in to the Lost and Found team during the show have been brought to Stradbally Steam Museum, The Green, Stradbally, Co. Laois, R32 YT65.

Anyone who would like to enquire about an item before traveling to Stradbally can  contact the team via WhatsApp on  +353 85 217 5352. Please note that this number is for messages only – calls will not be answered.