Folk urged to join ' instrument amnesty'

People are being asked to donate their instruments as part of a campaign to get would-be musicians playing.

Pass it on Week, being launched on Saturday by Zero Waste Scotland, aims to promote the reuse of items in an effort to avoid waste.

Singer-songwriter Be Charlotte was in Glasgow yesterday to highlight the “musical instrument amnesty” part of the campaign.

The Dundee-born musician, whose real name is Charlotte Brimner, said: “I previously donated an old acoustic guitar to someone my mum works with.

“That person is now gigging regularly and writing their own music, as well as learning to play some of his favourite songs.

“My first instrument was violin but I wasn’t very good at it so we traded it for a guitar and I’ve never looked back really. The fact that I now get to tour in other countries is partly down to the fact I was able to pick up a guitar when I was 13 years old.”

More than 50 music organisations and charities across Scotland have come forward to be beneficiaries of the amnesty.

They will act as collection points for people to drop off instruments.

Pass it on Week will also see people across the country swapping, donating, sharing and repairing to help make things last.

Andrew Pankhurst, Zero Waste Scotland’s reuse campaigns manager, said: “It’s really exciting to be able to turn our annual focus on reuse towards music this year and unleash the untapped potential of all the unplayed instruments out there.”

For further information on the campaign visit passitonweek.com