Thousands raised at Foden’s online contest
THE Foden’s Online Whit Friday Contest was a great success and raised more than £4,000.
This event is a fine example of what is consistently happening in the brass band world, which is the kind of support bands give to one another and to our communities.
This money will be split between the Tameside and Saddleworth Organising Committees and it will help the two committees to plan for the 2022 Whit Friday March contests.
Bob Rodgers, Chair of the Saddleworth and Oldham Whit Friday contests was presented with a cheque for more than £2,000 at the Foden’s bandroom, by Darren Lea who organised the event and Michael Fowles who was the Online Contest adjudicator.
This, added to the earlier donation, brought the total amount raised for the two committees to £4040.78p.
Bob said: “It gives me great pleasure to accept this cheque. The money will boost our ever-decreasing funds and ensure we are able to to cover the necessary on-going costs without putting pressure on individual contests.
“With the money in the bank we can now look forward to planning a great 2022 contest series. I would like to thank Foden’s for providing us all with such a wonderful contest to enjoy in the comfort of our own homes.
“A great deal of hard work must have gone into this production and it was so good to hear the familiar Whit Friday sounds once again”
Adam Pickles, of the Friends of
Tameside Whit Friday Contest Committee, concurred with all of Bob Rodgers’ comments and added: “The donations will help towards the smooth running and the longevity of the Tameside contests in years to come.
“We would like to thank all the bands that took part and we hope to see everyone at the Tameside events in 2022.”
Despite the lack of `live’ contests this year Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council continued its financial support for the events by awarding £600 in prize money for podium finishers in the Youth Section category.
Councillor Leanne Feely, Tameside
Council’s Executive Member for Culture, said: “We were delighted to be able to offer the prizes. Youth players will be the backbone of banding in the future and through the youth prizes we are supporting banding at a fundamental level.”
Every year sees a number of Welsh bands heading north to take part in one of the best annual events in the British bands’ calendar.
It really is a joyous occasion and one that all bands should experience at least once in their existence.
The last time I played there we started playing about 5pm and ended shortly after midnight after playing at about six different villages. What an experience!