Thanks to a very generous donation from the Bathgate Community Centre Management Team, young musicians from our bands will find it much easier to attend this year’s National Youth Brass Band of Scotland (NYBBS) course.

NYBBS offers young brass and percussion players aged from 9-22 years old, and varying levels of ability, an opportunity to perform a challenging, exciting and diverse repertoire of music while receiving guidance from an expert tutorial team.  It also provides the opportunity to meet and foster new friendships with like-minded young people from across the country.  The NYBBS courses run in both the Easter and summer school holidays, with 3-5 days intense tutoring rounded off by a gala concert. 

Bathgate Band has been a long supporter of the courses with many of our past and present members having attended in their younger years. However, as with many things today, the cost to attend the course has gone up due to the rising cost of living. This has put added financial pressure on parents in already challenging times.

As a result, the band has sought to raise funds to help support our young members who want to attend the course.  Various activities including caroling at Christmas, balloon races and selling “lucky square” cards have been used to help generate funds, as well as some generous public donations.  However, we were delighted to receive confirmation from the Bathgate Community Centre Management Team of their generous donation.

Billy Weir from the Community Centre Management Team attended one of the band’s rehearsals recently to pass on the cheque. “When we were approached by the band for help, it took all of 10 mins in our committee meeting to agree the donation.” he said. “A few of the committee attended the band’s Christmas concert and we were impressed not only by the playing but by what the band was doing around encouraging and supporting young people that want to get involved in playing.”

Band President Gerry Duggan said “We want to give everyone at Bathgate Community Centre a huge vote of thanks for agreeing to this donation. It will greatly reduce the cost impact for the parents of the kids looking to attend NYBBS. This could be the difference on some of them being able to go or not and so it will also have a really positive impact on the learning of the kids themselves.”   

If you, or the company you work with, are interested in making a donation, please get in touch using the contact form on our “Fundraising” page or by email fundraising@bathgateband.org.uk