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Regular Fund raising events
Over the course of a year we organises several fundraising events in order to pay for the general running of the band including instruments, music and uniforms. We don't receive sponsorship from elsewhere so these events are crucial to keep us going. Please try to support us and take part where you can. If you want any further information about any of our events please contact any member of the band.
Major fundraising activities
2012: Recorded CD
The band set up in what was the Mirage Hotel (Now the Ashbourne Lodge Care Home!!) where they recorded a CD of popular music including March Ashbourne, James Bond Themes, Cinema Paradiso, etc. A few copies of the CD are still available if anyone wishes to buy one!
May 2010: Scarborough / Filey
This time the band took off for Scarborough for the Bank Holiday weekend. Friday evening was occupied by dinner and a last minute rehearsal in the hotel dining room. Saturday members took the opportunity to explore the Scarborough sea front before boarding the coach for the short trip to Filey. Here we played in the bandstand to the enjoyment of the holidaymakers enjoying the sunshine. A quick trip back to Scarborough for early dinner and then back to Filey for a concert to an enthusiastic audience in the methodist church. After a leisurely start to Sunday it was back again to Filey for another concert on a very windy promenade adjacent to the RNLI lifeboat station. Here we were joined by Ashbourne's councillor Steve Bull and family (who just heppened to be in the area!!) who helped out with the collecting buckets. In the evening the band got together for an informal quiz night. All told a very enjoyable weekend having raised just over £500 (and $14) for the Filey RNLI.
June 2009: Mobile Garden Party
During the very wet and windy weekend of 6/7 June the band organised a mobile garden party for residents of Ashbourne and surrounding area. The band were booked to play a 20 minute slot at different locations in the area including private parties, Fairways Garden Centre, Ashbourne Market, The Cock Inn Clifton, Okeover Arms Mapleton and Edinburgh Woollen Mills Ashbourne. The event kicked off at Ashbourne Market Place at 12:00 Saturday following words of encouragement from the then Ashbourne mayoress Caroline Cooper and finally finished sheltering in a private garage in Clifton at 4:30 Sunday afternoon. In all we played at 14 venues and raised £1040 for charity to be shared between Rainbows Trust, Derbyshire Air Ambulance, Cancer Research and Diabetes UK. Most of the band survived the wet as did most of the music although one member was caught piecing together his copy of "She's The One" after it disintegrated in a particular heavy (torrential) downpour. Thanks to all our party hosts and also to Dave and Laura for hosting a barbecue on Saturday night, the proceeds from which also went into the collection bucket.
May 2008: Morecambe
Early May Bank Holiday weekend the band travelled to Morecambe where we were hosted by the Morecambe Brass Band Association. We arrived on Friday and once we were settled in, fed and watered we performed an impromptu concert (practice) for other hotel guests. Saturday morning was spent on a shopping trip to Lancaster followed by an open air concert on the promenade. In the evening we were joined by the MBBA Brass Ensemble for a joint concert. Sunday we performed another open air concert in Happy Mount Park. In the evening we were joined by members of MBBA for a quiz night (which was won by ATB MD Richard and his team). We were accompanied throughout by the then Ashbourne mayor Steve Bull and his family who co-ordinated the fund raising. We were surprised at the improvements to Morecambe and a good time was had by all. We raised over £500 for the Morecambe RLNI inshore lifeboat which was the service called out during the disastrous night in 2004 when 21 cocklers lost their lives. The youngsters were also given a tour of the lifeboats and facilities.
August 2007: Ball Drop and Car Wash
Many thanks to everyone at Ashbourne Fire Station who allowed us to use their venue for these two fund raising events. On the afternoon of Saturday 4th August literally hundreds of plastic balls were dropped from the Aerial Ladder Platform. Each ball was numbered and had been bought by players, friends and family of the Band. The first one to be caught by fireman Brian Tregunna belonged to Angie Lees who won the first prize. The Ball Drop took place at the end of the Fire Station's open day at which the Band also had a cake stall. The following Saturday, Band members and firemen joined forces and raised over £300 by washing cars. The funds raised were split equally between the Band and the Firemen.
July 2007: 8 Hour Concert
On Sunday 29th July at 10am the Band started the marathon 8 Hour Concert in Ashbourne Town Hall. The full Band of around 30 members played together for the first hour and a half and thereafter took it in turns, in three groups, to have 15 minute breaks. Between each piece the Band were allowed only a two minute break, strictly timed by various officials, to change over the music. At around 6.30pm the full Band regrouped to finish the 8 hour task together. Throughout the day the band dug deep into their music library with a line up from marches to hymns and all that popular music in between. This event was undertaken in aid of 5 local charities who will share the sponsorship money equally and were there on the day with a selection of stalls.
In 2006 the Band crossed the Solent to the Isle of Wight. They played at various venues on the island including a joint concert with Shanklin Town Brass Band.
May 2004: A-Z Challenge
The Band started by playing a march and a hymn in Ashbourne Market Place at 5am on a Saturday morning. Then they jumped into two mini buses and headed for Brailsford to do the same, then Clifton, then Denstone, then Ellestone. Get the picture? The band managed to find a 500 mile round trip that took it to every letter in the alphabet, except X! They returned in the early hours of Sunday to play a march and a hymn back where they started some 22 hours previously. The money raised was donated to the British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK.
November 2003: Thorpe Cloud Challenge
18 playing members of the band were sponsored to climb and play at the top of Dovedale's most famous landmark. The Band played a 45 minute concert including such pieces as the Pennine Way, Climb Every Mountain and The Rambler. The money raised, over £800, was donated to the Derbyshire Mountain Rescue Team and the Wetton and Alstonefield First Responders.
In 2002 the band visited Bournemouth.
In 2000 the band visited Tenby and raised £900 for the local branch of the RNLI.
In 1998 the band visited Newquay and raised £700 for a charity which dealt with drug addiction and homelessness in young people. Some of this was raised thanks to the Band's musical director at the time, Mike Wareing, who famously agreed to shave off his beard.
In 1996 they raised another £600 for charities in Llandudno.
In 1994 the Band visited Southport and raised £700 for a local charity.