We are getting towards reaching our fundraising target of £250,000 and just need that final push for the finishing line.
We are so grateful for all the donations made to date. It has enabled the external works to be carried out to fix the subsidence problem with piling put in place underneath the hall and the worst affected part of the building to be rebuilt on new robust foundations.
The rebuilding and subsidence repairs are thankfully well underway but once the external building work is done the inside of the band hall will need a lot of attention too!
We now just need to achieve the remainder of our fundraising to be able to carry out the internal refit of the hall. There is quite a bit to do, what with a complete redecoration needed, storage and shelving, new flooring, new lighting and importantly some special sound proofing and acoustic materials, all to get the band hall back into tip top condition.
All of the members of all of our bands within Verwood Concert Brass are very much looking forward to the day the work is complete and can enjoy making music together in an environment that is fully fit for purpose (and safe from future subsidence).
Thank you so much for any support you have given to date, and we wholeheartedly appreciate any help towards reaching our fundraising target to get our band hall rescue mission completed.
Further photos of the band hall repair works can be found in the 'gallery'. Just click on the main photo to access the gallery.
We have a big problem. The band hall is suffering from subsidence. There are huge cracks in the walls and unless we fix the problem the band hall will become unusable. Without our band hall, our home, the future of Verwood Concert Brass is in jeopardy.
The band started in 1864 so there is no way we can allow this set back to stop us now. We are determined to raise the £250,000 needed to rescue our band hall, but it is a lot of money so we need lots of help. Every donation will be so gratefully received.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BAND HALL - The band hall is used for at least five rehearsal sessions per week by approximately 100 musicians. This is because Verwood Concert Brass is a charitable organisation with a key objective to be totally inclusive to allow people of any standard and of any age to come together to enjoy making music.
We do this by running various brass band groups consisting of The Acorns (New starter group), Verwood Community Band (Beginners to intermediate), Verwood Town Band (Intermediate to advanced) and Verwood Concert Brass Band (Advanced to expert).
Without our own band hall to hold these rehearsals and to store all of our music and equipment it is hard to envisage how we could continue to provide such a valuable service and in turn bring so much pleasure to the community through our playing at community events and concerts.
Photo shows a free 'Brass on the Grass' event at the Verwood Rec enjoyed by hundreds.
FIXING THE PROBLEM - We have researched many options but due to the soil type where our band hall is, the only real viable option is to have piles (steel and concrete columns) inserted to a depth of 8m beneath the walls. This will mean the soil can expand and contract under and around the band hall without dragging the band hall with it, as it will be supported on the piles.
Then there is the repair of the external walls and some rebuilding of internal walls that are badly cracked.
It was a shocker to find out how much it will cost to fix the band hall but once the extent of the problem was understood and what was needed to fix it we are determined to raise the money and get the job done.
HOW YOU CAN HELP - Any contribution you can make via JustGiving towards raising the money will be so gratefully received and if you are able to apply Gift Aid that will boost your contribution further.
If you wanted to raise funds for us by putting on your own fund raising event, for example doing a sponsored walk, you could create your own JustGiving event page that is linked to our fund raising campaign. This will make it really easy for your supporters to donate (with Gift Aid if applicable) to your event and for whatever you raise to be paid through to us.
Thank you for any help you give.
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