Crofton Silver Band is part of a national initiative launched by Brass Bands England to save the many UK brass bands who are struggling to survive through the COVID-19 pandemic. Brass bands are a core of their local community, and many risk disappearing altogether without your help. 

Crofton Silver Band are asking for donations to secure our future. In a normal year, almost all of the band’s income comes from concerts and other functions. As we have been unable to perform throughout 2020, the majority of our income has ceased yet we still have outgoings that need to be met for the band to stay alive.

Once we are able to make our way back to rehearsals, we need to ensure that we are providing a  COVID safe environment for our members, otherwise rehearsals simply will not be able to recommence.

Any support you can provide is hugely appreciated at this difficult time.

Why are we crowdfunding?

Due to COVID 19, our band is at risk. Almost all of our income has ceased and we have not qualified for any government grants. We need to raise funds to meet the running costs (including band room rent and insurance costs) until we can start to perform again.

We also want to ensure that rehearsals can restart as soon as possible, subject to local and national restrictions, which will mean the need to purchase various items to ensure our environment is safe. We do not own our own band room and therefore rehearse in a shared space. To protect both our band members and others using the facilities, we will need to clean the premises before and after use and the cost of purchasing cleaning products to do so will be met by the band. We will also need to have products available for band members to use to ensure they feel safe e.g. hand sanitiser, and we are likely to have increased costs to ensure there is no sharing of music including the costs of the music itself and additional music stands. We may also need to invest in COVID secure screens and bell covers for use in both rehearsals and, hopefully, concerts where the space for the band may be more limited.

We do not want to be another statistic and another band that has had to fold due to increasing financial pressures. The band is almost 150 years old and we want to be around to celebrate that milestone with our community.

About Crofton Silver Band

The Band was formed in the mining village of Crofton, a few miles south of Wakefield, back in 1873 and blew its first notes in public in the village church a year later. We have been making music in parades, parks, concerts and church services ever since, except for spells during the two world wars when the call of a greater duty left too many gaps in the ranks.

In 1955 we were renamed the Nostell Colliery Band and taken under the wing of the local pit for over 30 years but the promised financial support never quite materialised. The pit closed and the band went back to its maiden name.

Crofton Silver has achieved periods of success over the decades under accomplished conductors but nothing to compare with the golden era it is enjoying with Dean Jones as Musical Director. Over the last 5 years, the band has risen from the Third Section to the Championship Section for the first time in our history of nearly 150 years. We are all itching to get back to the band room to make music together again and continue to build on this success.

Crofton Silver has a special place within our local community, performing annually at various events in Crofton Village and the surrounding areas culminating in the annual round of Christmas Carols on Christmas Day morning to support our local Hospice.  The community has missed out on our music this year and we have missed performing to them. All donations to keep the band alive and get us back into our community next year are very gratefully received.

About Save Our Brass Bands

Brass bands exist in every corner of the UK, with over 30,000 people of all ages and standards taking part in weekly activity – rehearsing, performing and providing entertainment for their local community.

But we risk losing this forever.

Brass Bands saw their main source of income disappear in an instant when they ceased being able to perform in March in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Months later, we still don’t know when normal performances will be able to take place. A significant loss in income over the Summer months, paired with necessary expenditure needed to make rehearsal spaces Covid compliant means that many Brass Bands are in a perilous financial situation.

Without urgent support, we could lose our nation’s amazing Brass Bands. Please help us to make sure they survive this crisis and will be there to be enjoyed by future generations.

#SaveOurBrassBands

Please donate, share this page widely and do what you can to help us to make sure our Brass Bands survive this crisis.