Sponsored by
Lottery boost for Singers centenary
A LOCAL singing group is celebrating after being awarded a grant to the tune of thousands of pounds to help with their centenary celebrations.
The Sleights Singers has been given 3,436 by The National Lottery Awards for All programme which they will use to mark their 100-year anniversary.
The 100-year fund was kick-started last year by a 175 donation from the Whitby Gazette’s Pride of Whitby Awards
The choir is planning to celebrate with a number of events, including two public concerts. The first on 18 July will be held in Sleights Village Hall where local school children and guest soloists will join the group for their annual performance.
Money from the grant will be used to buy new music and uniforms for the event.
The second performance is at Whitby Coliseum – the venue for the group’s first public appearance in 1909.
Ernie Marsden, conductor of the group since 1985 said the extra funding from the grant would help them mark the occasion accordingly.
“We’re absolutely delighted to get a grant from Awards for All as we were really walking a tightrope. The evening would be quite different without the funding,” he said.
“Not many choirs in the region can claim such longevity and it needs to be celebrated. Choirs come and go, and while our numbers have dropped to around 25 this is nevertheless quite an acheivement.”
Money raised from the concerts and any funds left over will be donated to Marie Curie Cancer Care.
The group have a tradition of raising money for charity and are keen to continue their fund-raising. Mr Marsden said: “One hundred years ago a choral group was formed to compete in the Eskdale Tournament of Song the following year. Since then it has performed in countless concerts and has raised quite a lot of money for a variety of charities.
“I took over as conductor in 1985 and we have given more than 300 concerts and raised a considerable sum for good causes. We intend to continue that tradition this year.”
The Awards for All scheme allocates funding to grass roots community groups and voluntary organisations. Vanessa White, head of the Big Lottery Fund for the Yorkshire and Humber region said: “It is fantastic to see community groups such as Sleights Singers are still going strong after 100 years. Their efforts for charity are to be commended and Awards For All is delighted to help them mark an important occasion for the village.”
Should the concerts be a success, the group hopes to raise 400 for charity. They will also donate any money left over from the cost of staging the planned events.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Whitby
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Light sleet
Temperature: -3 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 37 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 1 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: West
