Win a Premier League football player

Barclays Premier League is offering to donate a player from each of their twenty football clubs to a local community group. Between September and November, twenty community groups will win a Premier League Player to help raise awareness of their cause and a £4,000 donation. In addition the Premier League will also award individual £4,000 donations to a further 100 community projects, charities or schools.

Deadline: Friday 1 August 2008

For more information visit www.vonne.org.uk/news/news_article.php?id=292.

Making Music chief to climb higher than Everest for Marie Curie Cancer Care

Making Music Chief Executive, Robin Osterley, is going to walk 326km across the Swiss Alps, unassisted, to raise £10,000 for Marie Curie Cancer Care and Making Music this summer.

Marie Curie Cancer Care is Making Music's official charity partner. The 'Alpine Allegro' walk is the largest joint fundraising venture to be launched since the Making Music Care partnership began in 2006. The target is to raise a net minimum of £4,500 for both organisations.

Robin has already raised £1,263 and is hoping for further generous sponsors to visit www.justgiving.com/alpineallegro. The Alpine Allegro website (www.alpineallegro.com) will keep track of Robin's progress, both in terms of sponsorship and distance covered.

Good news for the Northern Rock Foundation

The Chancellor's announcement about Northern Rock last week included a commitment for Northern Rock to continue supporting the Foundation with £15m a year for the next three years. Whilst there continues to much uncertainty and worry about the future of jobs at Northern Rock and of the Bank's leading role in the region, the support for the Foundation is a really important step in continuing support to local communities.

Charity Awards 2008

Deadline: 14 March 2008

Nominations are invited from arts organisations for the annual Charity Awards in the arts, culture and heritage category. The Awards recognise and celebrate exceptional achievements in the leadership and management of charities of all sizes throughout the UK. The Awards are a great way to boost morale and winners get extensive media exposure which greatly helps influence funding applications.

To submit your entry visit www.charityawards.co.uk. Please note the deadline for entries is 14 March 2008.

All We Need is Love

All We Need is Love is making music history and a world record for the most versions of one song ever recorded in the history of music, while raising money for Children in Need.

Where else could you be part of making a new world record, raise funds for charity, be on the first ever concept single, become world famous and produce, remix, record, sing or speak your own version of a song about to be recorded by more people in the world than any other song ever! And all you have to do is be yourself and have fun? Oh, and it costs you absolutely nothing!

For more information, visit www.allweneedislove.co.uk.

(from VAN news, 26.10.07)

Marie Curie Cancer Care: MM Charity of the Year

Making Music are pleased to announce that their Charity of the Year for 2007 is Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Making Music Care is a true partnership in every sense of the word.

The effects of music on charity fundraising are well documented, and are proven to boost donor income. Thanks to musical endorsement at events and activities, the partnership will present new and inclusive opportunities for performance and promotion of activity for Making Music societies.

This will develop both the number and diversity of audiences as well as provide an opportunity for raising valuable funds for people terminally ill with cancer, as well as for Making Music. The funds will be split (90% to Marie Curie Cancer Care; 10% to Making Music).
This partnership will take the form of musical performances at events up and down the country during the Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal's celebratory 20th Birthday year.

Member societies can take part by:

• putting on concerts
• participating in existing Marie Curie Cancer Care events
• holding your own Marie Curie Cancer Care fundraising event
• supporting the Great Daffodil Appeal

Making Music Care Champions

Each of the 12 Making Music Regional Committees will be provided with a special Making Music Care Champion. This is a volunteer who will act as main liaison point for the Making Music/Marie Curie Cancer Care partnership. MMNE's is Linda McDonough, 0191 382 3310, email: linda.mcdonough@mariecurie.org.uk

The Champions will ensure the best ever collaboration between both organisations, as these people will sit on the Making Music Regional Committees as an additional resource.

To request a Making Music Care pack contact:

Mike Jousiffe
Making Music Central Office
2-4 Great Eastern Street
London
EC2A 3NW

tel: 0207 422 8280
email: mike@makingmusic.org.uk