|TOP|Reading Festival 2006 has concluded Sunday, with the Salvation Army joining headline acts Pearl Jam and Arctic Monkeys attending the event.

The Salvation Army has been attending the summer festival since it began in 1971, and this year 60 volunteers from the Thames Valley and beyond provided an extensive service to festival-goers.

Heavy metal fan and Salvation Army member Stuart Scott said, "'The Salvation Army is here to serve, and this is an ideal opportunity for service."

The Salvation Army tells that Reading Festival is now the UK's biggest, and that prior to the event it was planning to hand out 25,000 cups of coffee and tea, and 20,000 mugs of soup and bread rolls.

|AD|The Christian charity and Church set up its stall in the Green Park between the main stage and one of the busiest camping sites.

In addition to refreshments, The Salvation Army used a 40-foot marquee to dispense sleeping bags and blankets for those who needed it.

Other services The Army provided were Christian literature and counselling.

Scott explained, "Although it's a busy place, it can be surprisingly easy for music fans to become cold and lonely. The Salvation Army can provide that much-needed comfort. This is the most rewarding job I have ever done."

[Source: Salvation Army]