This Crowdfunder page allows you to make a donation of any size towards the Music Venue Properties' #OwnOurVenues initiative. Please note that our Community Share Offer closed on 30th March and we are currently in the process of consulting with current members. We plan to reopen the Share Offer ASAP, if you are interested in investing then please fill this brief Google Form
OWN OUR VENUES
For the last 8 years Music Venue Trust has led the campaign to protect, secure and improve Grassroots Music Venues in the U.K. Supported by you – our incredible community of music fans, artists, and crew – the charity has grown from strength to strength and currently provides support for over 900 venues in the U.K.
Now we want to make the most radical change of all. We want to permanently secure a future for these venues by changing the ownership model. We believe these vital venues should belong to us. All of us that care about them, that play in them, that visit them.
Let’s Own Our Venues.
Music Venue Properties
Music Venue Properties is a Community Benefit Society that purchases freeholds of UK Grassroots Music Venues and rents them back to the operators at a fairer rate than their present landlords, with greater security and better understanding of the sector - to make them more valued and to help them grow.
Music fans and ethical investors can buy community shares in Music Venue Properties from £200 to £100,000 and receive 3% APR on their investment. You can find out how by visiting our community shares page.
Since launching the Share Offer in May 2022 the support has been amazing but we understand that some people who want to back this initiative are unable to buy a share at this time
We have therefore taken the decision to open up a Crowdfunder donation page where supporters can donate other amounts to show their support.
What's more, we will be converting the money raised into community shares and issuing them randomly to people who have donated.
Our initial Share Offer closed on 30th March 2023 and raised £2.32 million.
Let's #OwnOurVenues.
What is the problem?
• 35% of Grassroots Music Venues (GMVs) have closed in the last 20 years.
• 93% of GMVs are tenants and the average operator has 18 months left on their tenancy.
• Since the start of the COVID crisis the sector acquired over £90m of new debt, yet 67% of Culture Recovery Fund grant money was paid to Landlords.
The Venues
The nine venues we have selected for the pilot project are The Snug (Atherton), Le Public Space (Newport), The Bunkhouse (Swansea), The Palladium (Bideford), The Hairy Dog (Derby), The Glad Cafe (Glasgow), The Ferret (Preston), The Polar Bear (Hull) & Sunbird Records (Darwen).
“Having MVP as our landlord will give us the long-term security, we need to continue our vital work. The current landlord wishes to sell the site which risks it being purchased by people with no interest in the arts and developing the site for residential properties." - Ben Morgan, The Snug.
“The move and making our venue as amazing as it is has taken a lot of time, energy and money. MVP ownership would give us the reassurance we need to continue improving what we do. Knowing the venue is owned and supported by people who understand what we do would mean the world to us and our community.” - Sam Dabb, Le Public Space
“This will help guarantee The Bunkhouse can be used to its full potential as a GMV for generations to come. Our current landlord is keen to work with MVP and wants to secure the future of the business, but has also been open that if it doesn't happen then it would need to be sold to a property developer.” - Jordan McGuire, The Bunkhouse
“Currently our rental arrangement with our landlord is on a rolling month to month contract. Having the security of a lease with a landlord who wants to support us in bringing live music to North Devon will make a huge difference." - Ben Nigh, The Palladium.
“At the moment we have two different landlords who don’t have an understanding of our central purpose. To have one landlord that not only understands the business, but is dedicated to keeping the Hairy Dog as a live music venue would be a massive asset.” - Paul Keenan, The Hairy Dog.
“It would be a game changer for The Glad Cafe to have MVP as a supportive landlord who understands the challenges of running a music venue in a residential community.” - Rory Haye, The Glad Cafe
“Having the support of MVP as our landlord would give us the security and confidence to invest even more in grassroots music and create something truly special in our city.” - Matt Fawbert, The Ferret
“The prospect of having a landlord that is committed to keeping live music venues alive is hugely appealing. We strive to run a business that supports live music and the local community; with the MVT as our landlord we are confident that we can achieve this." - Mark Hall, The Polar Bear
“Having MVP behind us as a landlord will allow us to explore new avenues of the business and also use their wealth of knowledge to help grow not only the venue but the cultural community as a whole” - Sunbird Records
Donating
- Music Venue Trust will be receiving donations on behalf of Music Venue Properties.
- These donations will be used alongside capital raised via Community Shares, grants and corporate donations to help purchase these 9 venues.
- We will be proportionately converting donations into Community Shares, so if £5,000 is raised we will issue the 25 shares. These shares will be issued randomly to anyone who lives within 10 miles of the venue and donated.
- Although these shares will not have a monetary value to the recipient, they will become a member of Music Venue Properties Community Benefit Society and have the same voting rights as everyone else who has invested.
- If Music Venue Properties are unsuccessful in raising the capital then you will be offered a refund on your donation.