Gang show looking grand thanks to charity donation
SCOUTS, Guides, Brownies and Cubs all know that the show must go on and now it can, thanks to a generous gift from a housebuilder.
Persimmon Homes Thames Valley has picked the South East Berks Gang Show to become one of its Community Champions. The group received a £1,000 donation as part of the builder’s monthly match-funding scheme.
First performed in 1971, the show is an annual event performed at South Hill Park every February half term.
It involves youngsters from Wokingham, Finchampstead, Crowthorne, Ascot, Sunninghill, Sunningdale, Bracknell,
Winkfield, Warfield, Binfield and Sandhurst.
South East Berks Gang Show spokeswoman Helena Hickling said: “We always have a large cast, with up to 100 performers on stage, with many more backstage helpers. Everyone involved in the show is a volunteer and we keep costs to a minimum for our young cast members, giving everyone the opportunity to be a part of our show.
“The costs are substantial however. As long as ticket sales are good we aim to break even and we use the funds from one year to pay for the following year, but we do rely on the support of local businesses.
“This year, substantial work is needed on the show’s storage building at the Pinewood Activity Centre in Wokingham, which is going to cost several thousand pounds. We use it to store props and scenery and cannot thank Persimmon Homes enough for their donation.”
Martyn Clark, Managing Director of Persimmon Homes Thames Valley, said: “It is quite something that this group of volunteers work so hard within the Scout and Guide movement to produce the only gang show in Berkshire. We are delighted to be able to support their work and wish them well in their next production.”
He added that Persimmon Homes Thames Valley receives a large number of applications each month for the Community Champions scheme, and urged charities who were not successful to apply again by visiting www. persimmonhomes.com/charity