Our Journey So far….

We are raising money to improve our facilities and opportunities for all. Please support our organisation on its journey with a contribution towards building an extension to our band room premises in Leicestershire. We are in the fantastic position of having player numbers on the increase, and we need to provide a larger facility to accommodate all our players and learners on their musical journey! Please read more about our project below – and see our fundraising thermometer for how we’re getting on! Thank you!

Our journey so far is kindly supported by….

Find out more about our Corporate Support and opportunities below

We are also grateful for the kind support of the following organisations and foundations….

Bernard Sunley Foundation
Florence Turner Trust
J Reginald Corah Foundation
Sir Andrew Martin Trust
Samworth Brothers
The Fyle Foundation
The Garfield Weston Foundation
The George Ward Trust

Maud Elkington Charitable Trust
The Mary Robertson Trust
Shipman Charitable Trust
The Markfield Band
The David Wilson Foundation
The Blakemore Foundation
The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust
The Michael Bishop Foundation
And other generous personal donations.

For more information please contact Steve Plant on bandroom@ratbyband.com

Our Project

We are raising funds to extend and refurbish our band room, which we built in 1990. The extension will increase floor space by 50% and the refurbishment includes our kitchen and toilet facilities, including disabled access. This will mean we can continue to provide our services to our members and support us in providing entertainment to our audiences. We will be able to increase membership, for which there is currently a waiting list, and be more active in our community.

How are we raising the money?

We are seeking to raise the necessary funds in a number of ways, as well as standard community fundraising, we are working to gain support from local businesses, foundations and charities to support the project, in addition to the generous individual donations the band continues to receive from members of the community and its supporters.

What will the developments include?

As well as providing a larger physical space to accommodate our musicians and learning groups, the facilities will also be improved to bring the band’s premises up to date and improve the conditions for all, as well as the environment.

This will include Photovoltaic Panels, LED Lighting, Natural Ventilation (which has become even more important in recent years), Improved personal washroom facilities and improved access opportunities, for example for those requiring disabled access.

Building specification

The new building will feature energy-efficient LED lighting throughout, significantly reducing energy consumption. Rooflights are strategically incorporated to maximize natural daylighting, enhancing indoor environments and cutting down on artificial lighting needs. The ventilation system includes heat recovery units, optimizing energy use by reclaiming heat from exhaust air. Water-saving toilets contribute to lower water usage. Improved facilities for disabled persons will ensure accessibility. Photovoltaic panels with battery storage will support carbon neutrality, harnessing solar energy to power the building. The site operates without fossil fuels, further reducing its carbon footprint and supporting sustainability goals.

We own the band room having built it over 30 years ago. The band members raised the funds and a local builder was engaged to carry out the work along with our band members resulting in the premises being opened in April 1990. We have secured planning permission, consulted with band members and now raised over half of the funds. We have already secured planning permission, developed outline plans and costings for the work, and have consulted with our members. The work will include a significant extension at the back of the building, creating almost 50% more floor space as well as some refurbishment to improve storage, kitchen facilities, disabled access and toilets. It will improve energy efficiency, reduce water use and make the building carbon neutral. We hope to undertake the work all at once to minimise disruption to rehearsals.

The Need

We have waiting lists for some of our bands, in particular our beginner bands and daytime band, which is a new and highly successful initiative engaging musicians during the day, who may not be at work, for example. The extension will allow us to help more people to learn to play brass band instruments and more widely to support the wellbeing and mental health of those taking part. It will mean more people can attend rehearsals, as well as introducing the opportunity for members of the community and family to visit to listen and observe the bands as they rehearse, something that the current space does not support.

Our non-playing members are a key part of our organisation and they get involved by marketing, refreshments, fundraising and cd sales. The daytime band has 35 members who are retired and mostly aged over 60, and band is attended by volunteers who support the members.

The current band room is in need of refurbishment so that it can continue to serve its need in the community. In particular the kitchen facilities are shabby, the toilet needs to offer disabled access and there is insufficient storage space, or space for visitors.

Community Impact

The project will benefit every member and supporter of the organisation, aged from 5 to nearly 95, with improved facilities. It will create space for at least 100 new members and volunteers to access our organisation and participate in a regular weekly activity. It will also expand the facilities that are also accessed by residents of ratby village. The band regularly provides free events, workshops, fetes, family fun days, and opportunities for villagers to meet, which is available to the 2,500 residents of Ratby Village and surrounding areas, with the wider community, who are benefitting from these facilities. Recently the band room was used as an emergency shelter and food bank when there was widespread disruption to the local gas network, providing a warm and welcoming space for people who didn’t have heating in the homes during the disruption.

The bandroom is booked out and used by other groups in the village, for example Ratby Orchard opposite, which uses the toilets, kitchen, tables and chairs, for all their events and a range of local music and education groups who use the room for rehearsals, auditions, recordings and training. Leicestershire County Council hold their Autism Awareness Courses and The National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain hold their auditions at the bandroom.

It is estimated that 100,000 people in total will benefit from enjoying the band playing at concerts, fetes, Christmas carolling throughout Leicestershire. The developments will also support the band in representing the village of Ratby, and the county at regional and national competitions and events.

Costs

The total cost of the project is £267K, excluding VAT. We are VAT registered and will be able to reclaim all of the VAT. The majority of this is for the extension building works (including foundations, walls, roof, floor, carpets, outdoor lights and storage), connected services (lighting, heating, plumbing, ventilation) with the rest supporting internal refurbishment (lighting, heating, wiring, plumbing, acoustic treatment and carpet), external work on fencing and car park, as well as ancillary and relocation costs. The band hope to undertake the work between January and early summer in 2025 and will aim to minimise impact on music tuition and rehearsals as the work is undertaken.

Corporate Support

Helping us reach our target is a great way to support your corporate social responsibility commitments and, if your company uses it, provide evidence for your TOM’s social value scoring. The band would be delighted to recognise your support on our digital platforms for any Corporate Support we get.We are very grateful to recognise the following organisations who have supported us on our journey to reaching our target. Thank you!