Fundraising currently: £97,500
Latest:
March 2020 £10,000 to Help Musicians, £5,000 to Soco, £5,000 to Springwell.
From 2010 until 2023 all the profit from direct sales at TamingTheSaxophone (Books, mouthpieces etc.), subscriptions on CafeSaxophone forum, and affiliate sales has been donated to music charities, special needs music educations and various other charities. From May 2023 sales revenue from Tamingthesaxphone.com is paying server and hosting costs wheel we are continuing to raise funds for various charities via CafeSaxophone.com forum subscriptions and affiliate sales.
We have raised over £95,000 in the last 10 years, for which I’d like to heartily thank everyone who has donated or bought something from the store.
2020
In 2019 we held back from donating as we intended to invest in a new fundraising project manufacturing saxophones. This would have come to fruition in 2020 but unfortunately COVID-19 put a stop to that, and so we have donated again to Soco & Springwell, but also a £10,000 donation to Help Musicians, a charity which is helping freelance musicians now facing absolute financial disaster as all gigs have been cancelled. Many need money right now and are facing real financial hardship in order just feed themselves and their families.
Total to date raised for music charities |
£95921.70 | |
|---|---|---|
| March 2020 | Help Musicians | £10,000 |
| March 2020 | Springwell School | £5000 |
| March 2020 | Soco | £5000 |
| March 2018 | Springwell School | £5000 |
| Dec 2018 | Soco | £4596 |
| April 2017 | StayUpLate (Gig Buddies) | £5000 |
| Feb 2017 | Springwell School, Southampton | £2000 |
| Sept 2016 | Langside School, Poole | £5339.10 |
| July 2015 | Victoria School | £10000 |
| May 2014 | Heaton School | £6000 |
| Jan 2014 | Heaton School | £2280 |
| March 2013 | Heaton School | £1095.60 |
| March 2012 | Gorton Education Village | £6000 |
| December 2011 | Band on the Wall | £10000 |
| February 2011 | Band On The Wall | £6000 |
| June 2010 | Band on the Wall | £4000 |
| December 2009 | Sax on the Web “Saxothon” | £400 |
| December 2009 | PRS benevolent fund | £500 |
| September 2009 | Band on the Wall | £3000 |
| March 2009 | Band on the Wall | £2000 |
| January 2009 | Sax on the Web “Saxothon” | £211 |
| April 2008 | Band on the Wall | £2500 |
2018
We have continued helping both Soco and Springwell. We donated £3000 and some equipment (including mixing desk and iMac). Our £5000 donation to Springwell will fund more equipment as well as collaboration with Doug Briggs (see below). We also donated to St.Annes Hospice, where colleague and CafeSaxophone Organiser Jeanette works.
2017
This year we have been supporting StayUpLate (Gig Buddies) and Springwell School. Gig Buddies is an organisation involved with organising volunteers to take disabled people out to events that they would otherwise not be able to see.
Springwell is a primary school for children aged 4 – 11 years with complex learning difficulties. All the children have a severe level of learning difficulties and many have associated disabilities such as autism, speech and language disorders and challenging behaviour. The £2000 has gone towards the funding of music sessions which which are run by Southampton music charity Soco. Springwell is in need of help, as you can see from the picture of their only music room!
This year we also seem to be branching out into conservation by donating towards a local hedgehog rescue centre.
2016
We raised over £5000 for Langside School, Poole, Dorset in order to buy a Soundbeam 5 Complete Kit as well as paying for staff training and workshops.
I visited Langside and met with Chris Maund. Most of the pupils need one to one attention, the staff are totally dedicated, enthusiastic and dynamic.but sorely in need of funds. The staff are even having to bring in their own musical instruments to help with classes.
2014-2015: Victoria School and Childrens’ Home
We raised £10000 to buy an Omivista Projection System to help with special needs music education at Victoria School, Poole.
2013-2014: Heaton School
We teamed up with Doug Briggs. With Doug’s expertise in the area of assistive music technology we can effectively channel the proceeds of sales so we know it goes where it can do the most good. Currently we have been funding a music programme at Heaton School for children with severe learning disabilities. We are buying musical instruments, assistive music technology such as the Apollo system as well as funding a performance in 2014.
Doug explains how the money helps:
As well as raising money for special needs music education, from time to time we donate to miscelleneous local and worldwide campaigns. We have raised over £15,000 for various Red Cross appeals, Leukemiabusters, APEC and more.
Previous Campaigns
Band on the Wall (2010)
We donated over £20,000 to Band on the Wall’s programme Wall of Sounds – a brand new music programme, offering a range of exciting opportunities to explore music through artist residencies, courses, masterclasses and performances. Brighter Sound and Band on the Wall will work in partnership to create a new hub for music learning in Manchester, for people of all ages and from all backgrounds. Our donations helped with the following:
- Saturday morning open access programmes (Rawchestra, Advanced Music Production and New Music Voices). These are FREE for young people
- Advice and guidance from music professionals
- Music classes at Band on the Wall
- Work with children with Special Educational Needs
- Work in schools across Greater Manchester
Without Pete’s support this area of Wall of Sounds would not be possible. We are extremely grateful for this sponsorship. – Tim Chatterton, Band on the Wall
Leukaemiabusters
I wish to thank all of you who have supported this fundraising through purchases, downloads, donations and advertising. I recently visited the Leukaemia Busters research facility at Park Gate (see pics) and was able to see at first hand the valuable work that is being carried out. Leukaemia Busters are concentrating on a revolutionary new cure focussing on antibody treatments which are much kinder and safer than the current methods (chemotherapy). The (almost) £8000 raised so far for Leukaemia Busters has enabled them to purchase a Flow Cytometer.
