Support Hyde Band - Building for Brass

Hyde 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. 

Hyde Band are based in the Ringwood/Fordingbridge area of the New Forest. We support local events and charities and also have a thriving training band teaching the young and old alike. 

As an organisation we have been in existence for over 125 years but sadly have been homeless for the last 10 years. 

Some 15 years ago we were gifted a piece of land in Gorley on which to erect our own band hall and this led us to embark upon a long journey to obtain planning permission from the New Forest Park Authority. We are delighted to say the permission was finally granted on 15th September this year! 

This is so exciting for us as having our own rehearsal room will give us the stability we need, provide a place for us to offer tuition to children from the local area, it will help the senior band to concentrate on improving our position in the contesting arena and above all will undoubtedly help us to attract new players.

We need to raise £100,000 to complete the project and so we are appealing to anyone and everyone to please make a donation to our “Building for Brass” project. You will see that we are also offering "rewards" to our donors such as "Musical Greetings" and "Buy a Board". 

However if you wish to make larger donations or sponsor the project in some way then please do get in touch with us either before or after you do, so that we can work out a reward that is tailored to you.

Why are we crowdfunding?

During more “normal” times we practise for many hours each week so that we can deliver performances to a high standard. We do this throughout the year at many events, concerts and contests, this is our bread and butter and usually allows us to earn the money that we need to keep the band going and thriving.  

This year all our usual revenue streams have been frozen and currently we are also unable to practice, as a band this is not something we ever expected to have to face.  We are still all paying our subs but this just isn't enough to keep the band going AND fund the build project, this is why we have turned to you for help?

About Hyde Band

The band is made up of diverse group of people from in and around the local area, we all have the same aims and objectives, and this has seen the band flourish over the years.  

You may or may not know music is no longer a priority on the English school curriculum and as such, we see it as our duty, through the training band, to continue providing free tuition and low-cost instrument hire for those wishing to learn an instrument. There is no lower or upper limit to learning to play which means that pre-school children and retirees can enjoy the same hobby and indeed learn from each other. Many of the players in the Senior band learned to play this way and now hold principal positions within the band and on the board of directors. 

As a registered charity we have been paramount in helping other charities, churches and organisations. Every year we offer our services gratis to the local community, playing for the Salisbury Hospice “Light a Life” Service at Christmas,   on Remembrance Sunday we lead the Fordingbridge parade and several of our members play Last Post and Reveille at other smaller services in the locality.

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.