Newstead Brass 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.
Whilst the band has been able to restart rehearsals since Summer 2021, we still see reduced incone,. Most brass bands have lost the majority of their income since March 2020 due to the restrictions necessary to fight Covid-19. As life returns to normal we want to re-engage with our local communities reminding them of the sound of a brass band and introducing them to some of the wider repertoire played by a 21st century band.
Why are we crowdfunding?
The cancellation of summer and autumn engagements has left us with only players subscriptions and some reserves to pay our overheads of ongoing room rental (our music and equipment are still in the facilities we hire for rehearsal) and insurance premiums. With the certain restriction and probable cancellation of Christmas events this will leave the band very low on funds for the start of the new year.
The funds we have will hopefully be sufficient to meet some of the costs of likely adaptations to restart rehearsals but will leave nothing for us to invest in reaching out to the community. Pressure on local authority budgets mean it is likely that the opportunities for bands to give 'free to attend' concerts on bandstands and similar venues will be limited.
Your support will help to offset this by helping us hire, on a temporary basis, larger rehearsal space as needed for any social distancing requirements and to develop visually interesting music programmes as well as funding an event in the spring or summer 2021 that is 'free to attend' for the wider community.
About Newstead Brass
Newstead Brass ar
e an ambitious, competitive and forward thinking community based brass band, winning the Midlands (Section 1) Championship in March 2020 - the last time we physically met as a band before Covid-19 restrictions came into force. We are looking forward to our promotion to the Championship section when brass band contesting resumes.
This makes us one of the midland’s leading (and we believe most versatile) brass bands, performing throughout Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, the East Midlands and beyond. As well as large and small concerts the band perform at weddings, sporting and community events, religious festivals, corporate and conference entertainment. In normal years the band also lead two parades on Remembrance Sunday and are heard regularly across the region playing carols at Christmas time.
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.