As the date of the European Championships is fast approaching, I wanted to take a last opportunity to say an enormous thank you! On behalf of the Scottish Borders Brass Band Association, and all of the young people, friends and family who have put in an immense effort to make the dream of competing in Ostend a reality, we thank everyone who has made a donation through this website. Fundraising will continue at a number of events, but I'm delighted that the sum raised by everyone here has made a valuable contribution to the total. Thank you all!

I'm delighted to report that thanks to the generosity of everyone who has donated so far, we've now raised over £1000 - many, many thanks. For anyone who hasn't donated yet - please, please have a read through exactly what this outstanding group of local young people are attempting, and if you feel inclined, any further donations, any amount, would be very welcome. Thanks!

To all those who have pledged their support in this first week of fundraising - our immense, sincere thanks. Please continue to share the details of our plan with as many people as possible - every donation, no matter how little, will help. The band will also be involved directly in a number of other fund-raising ventures in the weeks ahead - make sure to follow Scottish Borders Brass Band Association on Facebook, and @bordersbrass on Twitter, for updates on this.