Can you donate an old instrument to Valentine Primary School?
Dave Phillips Music, White Room Recording Studio and Little Stars School Recording are putting out a call to the local and the musical community to help out a school in need following an enormous budget cut to their funding.
In December of 2018, I saw a story in the Southampton Daily Echo regarding an open letter that Valentine Primary School Head, Liz Filer, published to Southampton asking for help and donations to help plug a £400k budget cut that the Government has imposed on them, which is understandably causing them considerable issues with resourcing the Children's education.
https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/17315746.valentine-primary-school-head-sends-out-wish-list-for-supplies/
This resonated with me because Liz specifically mentioned that they were finding it difficult to properly resource the school's music department and I wondered if I might be able to help them, even a little bit, by engaging with the local community, the musical community, and the followers that we have with dS:uK and The Genesis Legacy.
We met with the School staff last week to find out a little more about their struggles and to find out what they need. We offered them our help to resource their music department and to offer them the opportunity to record a School CD with Little Stars School Recording that they can use to raise some money to help contribute to the resourcing of the school.
Instrument Donation
We're asking for you all in Southampton's boroughs (as well as the country of course if our blog story reaches!) to have a look in your cupboards and attics to see if you have any of the following music equipment and instruments that you might have no more need for and would be happy to donate to the school.
From our meeting with their Music Teacher, Victoria Bandey, the school's music department are in need of the following:
Acoustic guitars
Ukeleles
Strings would also be very welcomed.
Jack to Jack Leads
Small amps
A couple of Bass Guitars
They also have a drum kit in need of attention. The shells will be fine so donations of Drum kit parts and Drum heads would be most welcome.
(Waiting for sizes)
Microphones and microphone cables
Microphone Stands or old stand parts that stands could be buillt from.
Flutes
Clarinets
Clarinet Reeds would also be welcomed.
Victoria also mentioned that they have a need for Trumpets and Trombones, although I can imagine it being a little harder to donate instruments with a significant value attached to them so we'll be running a crowdfunding campaign to help raise money for repairing and/or maintaining their current stock of instruments.
Donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/help-to-resource-valentine-school039s-music-dept
These can be sent directly to the school at Valentine Ave, Sholing, Southampton SO19 0EP, C/O Victoria Bandey.
If you have anything that's broken that might be repairable, you're welcome to send that to us C/O the school and we'll see what can be done to put it back into use.
If you have any specific questions, please feel free to message us via Messenger and if you'd like to verify our involvement with the school, I'm sure they wouldn't mind your asking them via email to info@valentineprimary.co.uk
The School CD
In the coming months, the school will be recording their first School CD through Little Stars School Recording. All of the profits from the sale of the CD will go towards the school's resourcing budget and we encourage all the parents to buy CDs, that make great presents for Grand parents, God parents, Aunts and Uncles, etc. For those kind hearted of you out there in the community who would purchase a CD to support the school's efforts, keep an eye on the Facebook Page - www.facebook.com/littlestarsschoolrecording - for news on when the CD is available and how to purchase. 
(Source : Daily Echo)
http://www.valentineprimary.co.uk/