What a happy surprise to receive this e-mail last October:
‘Congratulations! Your application to the Tesco Bags of Help Grant Scheme has been successful and your project will be put forward to a customer vote in Tesco stores during November and December 2018.’
Our mission after that was to mobilise all our supporters and inform any Tesco customers we knew to put the blue counters in the Barnsley Youth Choir slot every time they shopped. The project was featured in the main Barnsley Extra, Carlton Road Express and Wombwell South Express stores. Thank you to everyone that visited and supported; the Three Choirs project came second in the poll and Tesco donated £2,000 towards the Children’s Choirs East, Central and West.
The Children’s Choir East had a visit from the manager of the Carlton Road store and Lisa, the Group 9 Lead Community Champion, from Barnsley Tesco Extra. After the cheque presentation photograph we all enjoyed an open rehearsal with singing, dance moves and a lot of fun. Our guests from Tesco really enjoyed their visit and we have some new supporters on board - thank you to Luke, Helen and Gorgey for all their work.
It will take time, resources and determination to grow the choirs in the East and West of the Borough to equal what is already established in the Town centre. It is important that we support these choirs as much as we can to make singing accessible to as many children as possible in Barnsley. Thank you to Tesco for helping with this mission.
Dr. Peter Birkby
BYC Development Officer
