Please help us with meetings, donations or an instrument loan for our hire scheme. The VdGS is grateful for all donations made, however small.
MEETINGS
We need your help with our meetings!
VENUES
If you know of a good venue for a meeting, please let us know. It would be great to have a
kitchen with cups and a kettle.
If it is in London it would be good if public transport was not too far away.
IDEAS
We always need ideas for meeting topics. Even if you only have a smidgen of an idea it might fit
in with another item we have thought of before but does not fill a whole day.
ORGANISATION
If you are up for organising a whole meeting yourself, perhaps at a venue local to you, then let
us know. We can give you some guidance on where to start.
DONATIONS
As a charity we always welcome donations. These can come in all sorts of shapes and forms. Here are a few examples of items you may consider donating to the VdGS, be it out of charity, or because you have no use for them any more, or perhaps you may consider including us in your will.
SECOND HAND MUSIC
We always have a 'Bargain Bin' at the Early Music Exhibition in Greenwich which attracts a lot
of interest and usually pays for the cost of the stand.
MONEY
- You can add an amount to your annual membership payment, or
- you can just donate a sum to the VdGS. This can be done in various ways:
(i) Send a PayPal sum to admin@vdgs.org.uk
(ii) Send a cheque made out to the Viola da Gamba Society to the Administrator
(iii) Transfer money into the VdGS bank account, giving it the reference 'donation' (and your name if you can/want): Account name: Viola da Gamba Society | Bank: Lloyds Bank | bank address: 2 Pavement, York YO1 2NE | account number: 01120409 | sort code: 30-99-99 | International payments: BIC LOYDGB21225 | IBAN GB05 LOYD 3099 9901 1204 09.
- It would help us if you could let us know if we are able to claim Gift Aid on your donation (if you are a UK Tax payer). Please download a GiftAid form. GiftAid helps us recover a small amount from the Inland Revenue.
- You can also leave the VdGS a sum in your will.
INSTRUMENTS, BOWS AND CASES
We always need instruments, bows and cases for our Viol Hire scheme. Please contact
Bridgewood & Neitzert if you are thinking of donating
such items to the VdGS. You can also lend the instrument to us for our Hire Scheme.
THE JOY DODSON MUSIC FUND
This fund gives awards to mainly young players to attend viol courses and is entirely dependent
on donations.
Donations don't always have to be in pure money form, such as putting the
JDMF in your will. Any donations to the fund need to be
specified as such, as general donations simply go to the VdGS (this could be 2nd hand music as
well!).
HELP AT THE EXHIBITION STAND
We always need helpers for the annual Early Music Exhibition (free ticket if you can!). This could
be as simple as helping to unload the day before it all starts, or actually being at the stand,
even if it's only for a few hours. You do not need to be hugely knowledgeable to do this, a friendly
face for the Society is already really helpful. If you can help with the Try-A-Viol bit at the
stand, even if it's only for an hour or so, do come forward. It's quite simple - people hover and
look interested, but are too shy to try a shiny new viol from another stand. They then sit down,
in the ocean of noise made mainly by shaums and bagpipes, and get an idea of what it feels like
to hold a viol. All that's needed in terms of guidance is how to hold the bow and what the strings
are called, plus send them away with a leaflet in the knowledge that viol players are approachable
and friendly.
HELP WITH OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SOCIETY
We always need people to help with small things: some technical advice regarding web design, Charity
accounting, input of ideas for inprovement and smoother running of the Society - this could be done
at a distance or by being a committee member. We hold 3 committee meetings a year, mostly in London,
and it can be a rewarding experience to be part of the actual running of and decision-making within
the Society. Even if you are not up to joining the committee, you can help from afar. We rely
on volunteers to help us out. It makes a big difference if many helpers do just a little each
rather than a handful of volunteers doing a lot. So, if you have a bit of time to spare, however
little, we would be very happy to make use of whatever you are good at!
Many thanks
