11:00am Saturday 2nd June 2012
By Craig Jones
Wiltshire Music Centre has received a £120,000 grant from Arts Council England which will be used to secure its long-term future.
The Bradford on Avon venue will use the money, which will be handed out over three years, to launch an alumni scheme and work to attract new donors to invest in artistic work and support the centre.
The Arts Council has made the awards to organisations which are committed to changing their approach to fundraising by finding innovative ways to identify and make themselves more attractive to long term donors.
Wiltshire Music Centre’s executive director, Clare Jack, said: “We are very excited to have received this award.
“As a registered charity, fundraising is absolutely crucial to the centre. We have to raise at least 30 per cent of our income from fundraising activities every year in order to continue to stage our high-quality concerts.
“We want to use this award to help us convey to the community that the centre is a critical local resource in need of and worthy of support.”
In addition to the award money, the Arts Council will match pound for pound every pound raised by the centre through fundraising during the next three years.
Wiltshire Music Centre’s box office manager, Felicity Cowie, said: “This grant will make a big difference to the centre.
“I also think the idea of the arts council matching the fundraising is a great idea as it might inspire more people to donate to us knowing that what they give will be matched.”
It is intended that money raised in the next three years will go towards improvements to the 14-year-old auditorium.
For more information, visit www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk or call 01225 86010
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