During the UN’s International Day of Charity today, the Grand Theatre charity has launched a local and regional #PlayYourPart campaign to highlight its role in Blackpool’s cultural community and to help secure its future by encouraging donations to its non-profit making, charitable trust. The campaign promotes both the Grand’s active role in Blackpool and the Fylde Coast society and the many ways that people can donate to keep this invaluable work going.
A recent survey showed that 68% of theatre-goers didn’t realise that the Grand was charitably run. The theatre employs 47 people, supported by 85 volunteers. In the environment of a beautiful grade 2 listed building right in Blackpool’s town centre, it runs a full programme of workshops for children and young people, in and out of school, focused on improving literacy, numeracy, social skills and confidence. In 2016, 10,000 school children benefited from discounted tickets .ย A further 3,000 young people performed as part of Au Revoir Review and Schools Alive, with 30 local schools joining a literacy project in partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and there is much much more. This is an organisation that really does give back to the local community and is reaching out to all.
If you are giving to this charity, it really is starting and staying at home. The theatre is a major boost to the local economy and Blackpool would literally be a lot poorer without it.
The campaign highlights the many ways that people can contribute the the theatre’s work.
It encourages people to support the theatre by making a donation or by leaving a legacy. CAF the Charity Aid Foundation (cafonline.org) makes this simple, offering advice and direction. The theatre is supporting the annual Remember A Charity Week (12 to 18 September).
If youโd like to make a one-off donation you can go to the website blackpoolgrand.co.uk/donations or if youโd like to set up a regular donation, look at the Charity Aid Foundation (CAF)โs Long-Term Giving.
Other great easy to use ways of supporting The Grand include easyfundraising (easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/blackpoolgrand), ‘price comparison websites with a heart’.ย A percentage of purchases you make to retailers including Travelodge, Thomas Cook, M&S, John Lewis, Aviva, AA, RAC, Sainsburyโs ASDA, Tesco and Ocado, will be donated to charity. easyfundraising have over 3,000 shops and sites that give them a commission for your purchase.
Everyclick.com is a new UK search engine which donates 50% of its gross revenue to charity. This Search Engine enables web users to raise funds for their selected charity at no cost to themselves or the charity.
Organisations like Money Supermarket can help you compare energy suppliers and charitable credit cards and what works best for you visit moneysupermarket.com/credit-cards/charity/.
These new funds raised will be used to help grow the Grand Theatre charity participation programme of events that allow children to grow and develop. These programmes are not for the privileged few but for all and many free places are on offer.
These programmes are helping to secure Blackpool’s cultural life and the Grand Theatre facility for the future and charitable donations will help secure the varied programme that the Grand Theatre charity makes available to us all throughout the year. Of course we can also all help by attending as many shows as possible; there’s always something for all tastes. Long may this continue. altBlackpool wishes the theatre and its campaign well.
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