Why Donate?
The Bands System we support has been in existence for over 20 years. During this time, thousands of pupils have benfeited from the experience of taking part. The system has always relied on parental contribution to survive. However, this contribution has not always been voluntary and some parents felt they were being treated unequally.
So since the start of this school year, as a result of lengthy discussions with East Ayrshire Council, we have adopted a much more equitable system whereby the majority of pupils are taught within the school day and neither brass nor woodwind pupils are charged for their lessons. In order to sustain the numbers of children being offered instruments and lessons through the Stewarton Learning Partnership, the Bands Support Group agreed with the Council that it would raise £4,000 this academic year in order to help pay for tuition. This equates to just £5 a month from every participant.
The Friends and Family Appeal was set up to raise these much needed funds and thereby secure the future of the bands system. Without the support of those who are directly involved in the bands, the award winning system has no chance of survival. To help make the donation process as easy as possible we are encouraging friends and family to donate by standing order and you can download a PDF form here (51KB). If you would prefer to give a one-off donation, that would be very welcome too - our bank details are on the form.
So far, only one in four families with children in the bands has contributed. Without the support of parents this new system will fail. We hope you will agree that what your child gets out of playing in the band makes the investment worthwhile.