THE Music Pool, the community music charity whose work over the past 25 years has benefited thousands of local people, is launching the Splash! Appeal to raise £50,000 to enable it to continue its provision of these inspirational services.

Anyone who's witnessed the transformative effects of singing on Gareth Malone's The Choir, knows what a vital role music plays in the community.

Here in Herefordshire, The Music Pool’s primary focus is on social benefit – the social cohesion and positive knock-on effects that making music creates – and it does an enormous amount , encompassing all ages and abilities.

The Music Pool has many strings to its bow, including YamJams sessions for disabled people and carers, the Saturday Café at the Courtyard; regular music activities for families with under-5s, sessions for all the county’s special educational needs schools, the highly successful and still growing Garrick Singers for the over-60s, much-needed work in the county’s Pupil Referral Units, and the popular Livewire music sessions for young people from 12 to 24.

Now the time has come for the Music Pool to make a Splash! – both to celebrate the last 25 years and to raise essential funds to ensure that this unique service can be provided for the next 25 years - and it needs your help to do that.

WHAT MUSIC POOLS MEANS TO ITS USERS

‘There’s nothing like it for over-60s - it frees you up from everyday problems for an hour and a half of pure enjoyment." (Trish, The Garrick Singers).

‘It’s helped us develop a band together and built confidence – otherwise we couldn’t get on stage and perform in public’ (Micky and Sam, Livewire).

‘Every child has felt valued, it raises their self esteem – and it’s a joy to watch them because they enjoy it so much’ (anon).

‘The spin-offs have been so beneficial, not just for the children but for everyone in the school …… and training has enabled teaching staff to carry on with the sessions on the alternate weeks when we don’t have Music Pool input’ (anon).

HOW YOU CAN HELP

We're asking the people of Herefordshire to help us raise £50,000. Please give whatever you can to mark the 25th Birthday of The Music Pool, or as a charitable Christmas gift. And if you’d like to get more involved and become a Friend of The Music Pool, just contact friends@musicpool.org.uk

  • £30 can pay for a 30 minute session for 30 children.
  • £60 can pay for 2 hours provision in a Pupil Referral Unit
  • £100 can provide a morning’s work with all pupils in a special needs school.
  • £150 can pay for a 2 hour session with 3 music leaders for 40 disabled adults and their carers.

WHAT MUSIC POOL DOES ...

These are just a few of the high-profile events delivered locally by The Music Pool

  • The Stonemason’s Tale with Hereford Cathedral in 2011,
  • the forthcoming OMG Herefordshire in association with the Herefordshire Music Service, culminating in a prestigious live West Midlands event at Birmingham’s LG Arena in April,
  • the bi-annual Jigsaw disability dance project with Dancefest,
  • the massed Gathering Wave choirs forming part of the Three Choirs Festival,
  • last summer’s Sing Summer In involving 31 schools and 2,200 pupils,
  • and more recently street entertainment for Cargill Flavours of Herefordshire Festival.