Godalming 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. 

Godalming Band is asking for donations to help ensure the future of Godalming Band and Godalming Youth Band at this challenging time.

Godalming Band has been in existence in its current form since 1937 and consists both an active Senior and Youth Band. The membership is a cross section of people, of all ages living in the local community. Our Youth Band plays a very important role within the band as we provide opportunities for children to learn and develop as brass musicians.

Why are we crowdfunding?

Unfortunately due to the pandemic there have been no concerts or other performances this year and therefore no income to cover the necessary running costs of insuring and maintaining our band room, instruments and music library.  

Adding just one new piece of music to our repertoire can easily cost as much as £50. The smallest instruments in the band cost over £1000 for a good quality replacement, and the larger instruments cost many thousands of pounds. We are fortunate to have our own dedicated band room for rehearsals and teaching but the running costs are several hundred pounds per year.

Your donation will be used to help secure the financial future of the Godalming Band organisation until such time as we are able to return to performing and becoming self reliant once again.

About Godalming Band

Thanks to the generosity of the people in and around Godalming, the band has managed to retain its self-supporting status, raising funds locally for instruments, uniforms and music. 

Godalming Band love to entertain our local community and each year we have a busy summer schedule playing at fetes, carnivals, bandstands and parks of local towns. It is a great honour each year to take part in Godalming's Remembrance Day Parade and Service and we were saddened that it was not possible this year.

Christmas is also a busy time of year for the band with our annual Christmas Concert, entertaining the crowds at the turning on of the town Christmas lights, along with a variety of other carolling engagements around Godalming. We have also, for many years, participated in the brass band competitions organised by the Southern Counties Amateur Bands Association, as well as national contests.

Godalming Youth Band is the lifeblood of our organisation, helping to tutor and encourage the next generation of musicians through lessons and playing together in a fun and educational group environment. The group includes children from around age 7 to 17 at a wide variety of abilities.

We feel that music-making through groups is of great educational value and individual development, so we welcome children who have never picked up an instrument before through to more experienced players.

Your donations will help to sustain Godalming Band during these unprecedented times and enable us to be a part of the life the town and community for many years to come.

Thank you for your support.

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.