BANDROOM DEVELOPMENT

We are raising money to improve our facilities and opportunities for all. Please support our organisation on its journey with a contribution towards our Band Room development project 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!

What do we need for Phase Two (Environment)?

A major focus in phase two is a number of external improvements for our facilities in Ratby. This includes modernising our power system to include solar panels, improving our security with updated gates and fencing and installing CCTV – helping us to protect our community assets, attending to the much needed (and sadly temperamental!!!) old sewer pump system, improving the landscaping to enhance the area for the community, improving car parking facilities (which will support local safety) as well as much needed resurfacing work.

We are so grateful to Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council for their support in kickstarting our Environment Project enabling us to start going “green” in our switch to solar engery!

PHASE ONE (BAND ROOM EXTENSION)
WAS KINDLY SUPPORTED BY

We are also grateful for the kind support of the following organisations and foundations who helped us complete Phase One (Band Room Extension)….

Bernard Sunley Foundation
Duncan & Topliss
Florence Turner Trust
J Reginald Corah Foundation
Sir Andrew Martin Trust
Samworth Brothers
The Foyle Foundation
The Edward Cadbury 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 FoundationAnd other generous personal donations.

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

PHASE ONE (BAND ROOM EXTENSION) COMPLETE!!

After a summer full of hard work, fundraising, building, decorating and relocating (here, there and back again) five bands and all of our equipment, the organisation is pleased and proud to once again be back in its home on Taverner Drive, in our newly extended space – now suitable to accommodate all of our larger bands comfortably! Our project moves to its final phase, attending to its fixtures, and fittings, including our outside space and developing core amenities and facilities (examples include a Drain Pump, a Defibrillator, Fencing, Car Park and other external developments). We continue to work towards our financial target (shown above) to make this happen and to provide a facility for our bands and the community for years to come. We are so thankful to all of our sponsors and supporters to date, and as we continue to develop the new band hall would be extremely grateful for any further donations to help us complete the totality of our project. If you haven’t seen them already on social media, here are some photos from our build and our building so far!

Our Project – What are we developing?

We are raising funds to extend and refurbish our band room, and its wider environment developed originally in 1990. The extension (phase one) has increased floor space by 50% and the refurbishment includes our kitchen and toilet facilities, including disabled access. This means we can continue to provide our services to our members and support us in providing entertainment to our audiences. We will now be able to increase membership, for which there is currently a waiting list, and be more active in our community. The second phase is our Environments project – for which we are continuing to raise funds – this is to ensure the bandroom is safe, secure, as environmentally friendly as possible with appropriate safety features for our members.

How did we raise money for Phase One?

Why are we doing the project?

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.

Community Impact

The project benefits 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 original Band Room before the extension!

Our Band Room 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 Band Room.

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.

Overall Costs

The total cost of the overall project (phase one and two) is in excess of £350K. 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.

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!