Specialist personal injury firm, Scott Rees and Co have stepped in to support a highly successful local band’s fundraising campaign to help get them to their national finals, by presenting them with a cheque for £200.
Skelmersdale Prize Band have been hitting all the right notes this year, including a second placed finish at the Regional Championships in Blackpool at the beginning of March and are now focused on their appearance at September’s National Finals in Cheltenham. But in order for them to be able to attend they have required a little support from the local community.
The band, which was founded in 1878, has enjoyed much success historically and this year has been no different. Under the baton of David Chapman, they have been awarded prizes at every contest they have attended so far in 2015 and it has recently been announced that they have achieved promotion from 4th Section to 3rd Section, which is a fantastic achievement in itself.
It was their success at the Regional Championships that secured their place in the highly coveted National Finals and it is hoped that they can go there and give a performance that the whole of Skelmersdale can be proud of under the watchful eye of their new MD, Karl Stott.
But, to attend the finals they firstly had to take on a huge fundraising task, due to the excessive entry costs and the long distance they would be required to travel. In response, they have held several sponsored events and sales and have turned to the local community for their support and have been overwhelmed with the response, including the donation made by Scott Rees and Co.
The Band’s Secretary, Ellen Galbraith said: “All band members and supporters are pulling together to help raise funds, and we have been performing almost every weekend in the local area, as well as planning sponsored events and sales.”
“The band are thrilled at the amount of support that we have received so far. It is good to know that brass banding is still able to thrive at the heart of the local community. Performing at the National Finals is such a great experience for our players and we would like to thank Scott Rees and Co for their support and generous donation.”
Ellen and her Co-Secretary, Jon-Paul Coulson, have, over the years, dedicated their time into giving free brass lessons to young people in the area as well as helping a couple of older students.
Partner at the firm, Lucie Illingworth, who attended one of the band’s rehearsal nights last week to present the cheque, acknowledged this generosity as well as the ability of the band saying: “The band are clearly very talented and fully deserve to attend the National Finals. It was a pleasure to be invited along to meet them all and to get to hear them play.”
“This is a case of generosity rewarding generosity. Ellen and Jon-Paul have dedicated a lot of time and effort over the years to help youngsters get into music without asking for a penny, so it is nice for us to be able to help them and hopefully they will all enjoy the experience. We wish them the best of luck for September.”
The donation will go towards helping fund the Band’s entrance fee, as well as help with the travel costs. The National Brass Band Championship finals take place on the 19th September.