We have been the very lucky recipients of housing industry magazine, Inside Housing's Christmas appeal, supporting the costs of our Big Christmas Singalong in Brighton this year. With a target of £6,500, we were hopeful that we would get near that total by the time our choirs took the stage at Brighton Dome in December.
You can imagine how thrilled and grateful we were to receive a surprise donation for the full £6,500 from Civitas Social Housing, meaning that we exceeded our target.
Nine other supporters, some of them anonymous, provided a total of £640, taking total donations so far to £7,140.
The £6,500 will cover the costs of the gig, including accommodation, travel and food for choir members. Funds raised exceeding the target will go towards supporting our choirs’ rehearsals and other regular work.
Marie Benton, chief executive of the Choir with No Name, said: “Our Christmas gig is by far the highlight of our year, with choir members and audience alike singing their hearts out and feeling part of something very special, at what can be a tough time of year for our members.
“We are extremely grateful to Civitas for helping us bring all four of our choirs together at the Brighton Dome, and we can guarantee that we’ll fill it to the rafters with festive cheer and give our members a truly unforgettable experience.”
Michael Wrobel, chair of Civitas Social Housing, said: “Civitas is very pleased to be able to support the Inside Housing Christmas appeal and through this the excellent work of the Choir with No Name – helping to build the confidence and skills of those who take part.”
Emma Maier, editor of Inside Housing, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Civitas is supporting our Christmas appeal with such a generous gift. The charity does some really amazing work and we are keen to encourage landlords to make a donation too - every penny will help the choir and its members achieve even more.”
We are also extrememly grateful to the staff of National Express who have been fundraising to support the cost of a coach to get our Birmingham choir to Brighton and back.
Receiving this kind of support from companies and their staff is so crucial for us to continue performing our own gigs across the country, and we are hugely grateful to everyone who has made a donation.
Tickets to the Big Christmas Singalong on Dec 15th at Brighton Dome can be purchased for £12 HERE, with proceeds from the night going to support the choirs, as well as local Brighton charities The Clock Tower Sanctuary and Brighton Housing Trust.