Amersham Band
Amersham Band is a brass band committed to high quality music making by developing and nurturing local brass players.
The band provides appreciation of music together with cultural and social development for its members and entertains the local community through concerts and events.
The challenge
Amersham Band has been an integral part of the local community for over 170 years. For the last 20 years it held weekly rehearsals in a rented space in a local church hall but due to increased demand from local people wanting to join the band, the band realised it was fast outgrowing the space. In 2015 the band started to look for a new rehearsal space. After carrying out research in the area, the band realised it would need to build a purpose designed building to get the facilities it required. To achieve this goal, the band needed to raise over £500,000.
The solution
Whilst the band had volunteers and supporters with enthusiasm and a wide mix of skills and experience which they could bring to the project, it knew that, due to the scale of the project, expert support on fundraising was needed. The answer came when one of its volunteers sought out 1:2:1 advice from Community Impact Bucks.
With Community Impact Bucks’ support, Amersham Band received a small grant for 12 days of consultancy support. Whilst initially the band had been hoping for financial help, this grant turned out to be invaluable. The guidance and advice received from the consultant enabled the band to produce an inspiring business case and strong fundraising strategy. In addition to this, the consultancy helped the band submit several high-level funding applications. This support, combined with the fundraising efforts of the local community, enabled the band to reach its funding target within 3 years of the project receiving planning approval.
“Thanks to the support from Community Impact Bucks and the local community, Amersham Band now has a new purpose-built music facility right in the heart of the town. Over the next few years, many local people will be able to benefit from this fantastic new facility. For young people, group music making brings many benefits; as well as musical skills, it also teaches teamwork, perseverance and self-confidence and is a source of social support. We hope that our new building will be a focus for community music for generations to come.” Fred Harrison, Chairman
- For more information on the charity, visit Amersham Band.
- If your organisation would benefit from free 1:2:1 advice from one of Community Impact Bucks’ VCSE and Development officers, you can book an appointment at a time that suits you by clicking on Funding and Governance advice session, and Volunteer Management and Recruitment advice session.
