We’ve got plenty of information about our upcoming Spring concert (just under three weeks to go!) on our website, but there’s still one piece of juicy news we haven’t yet divulged. We’re delighted to share that two wonderful organisations are providing NLC with financial support specifically towards our Spring concert artistic costs i.e. orchestra and soloists.

We use our own reserves to fund typical concerts as revenue from tickets, programmes, advertising and the concert bar go towards them but rarely cover the costs in full. This is a special concert because it is more expensive due to the size of the orchestra needed (around 45 people). Our total costs for this concert were budgeted to be around £14,000!

The Vaughan Williams Foundation has kindly supported various projects of ours over the years which were aligned to its aims. One might assume this is limited to the work of Ralph and Ursula Vaughan Williams but in fact beyond this, the Foundation offers funding towards the performance, commissioning or recording of music by professional British/Irish composers active in the last 100 years; or projects and organisations in the UK which create developmental opportunities for composers, or which promote wider awareness of British/Irish music of the last 100 years. Their early support of £1,500 gave us the confidence that the concert would be financially viable.

Following this, we have secured an amazing £6,000 of support from the Foyle Foundation’s Small Grants Scheme. The Foyle Foundation is an independent grant making trust that distributes grants to UK-based registered charities and schools. Since it became operational in November 2001, The Foundation has disbursed over £146m in grants (up to 31 December 2023). The Foyle Foundation will complete its grant giving programme in 2025, marking 25 years of giving to the fields of the Arts, Learning, Community Small Grants, State Schools Libraries and formerly Health. According to their website at the time of writing, applications are still open for the final rounds of grants for projects which will complete by the end of 2025.

We’re incredibly grateful to both organisations for their vital support.