Big Give Christmas Challenge 2023

The City of Sheffield Youth Orchestra has a long history of providing top-notch orchestral training to South Yorkshire’s most talented musicians. Not content to simply perform standard youth orchestra repertoire in Sheffield, the orchestra aims to give its players the challenge of performing demanding repertoire around the UK, in some of Europe’s most exciting cities, and working with internationally renowned soloists. 

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Since its inception in 1980 CSYO has provided life-changing experiences for thousands of young people aged 13 - 21 in and around Sheffield, giving them the opportunity and experience to pursue music whether it be for the purposes of enriching their lives, or to follow a career in the music profession. Since the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, we have seen the number of applications for bursary support double and now nearly a third of our members receive bursary support. In turn, our costs have increased by £20,000 bringing our annual programme cost to £125,000 this year. Yet we won’t allow this to diminish what we offer as part of our annual programme, and this coming year is no exception with an alumni concert, a collaboration with the National Youth Ballet and a tour to Spain.

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The City of Sheffield Youth Orchestra is therefore taking part in The Big Give Christmas Challenge 2023, an exciting opportunity to raise much-needed funds for the 2023-24 CSYO Bursary Fund and double our donations through match-funding. The Christmas Challenge will take place between midday on Tuesday 28th November and midday on Tuesday 5th December. CSYO will be undertaking a practice-a-thon from 7am - 7pm every day where we will be asking members of the orchestra, staff and supporters to sign-up for a slot, get practising and share photos and videos of their efforts in return for sponsorship and online donations during the challenge week.

This is where you come in. Having received £1450 in pledges and £1000 of Champion funding from The Reed Foundation, the final stage is the challenge itself in which we have set an online donations target of £2500. If we reach our online donations target, we will receive our pledges and champions funds effectively doubling donations to reach a grand total of £5000. Please do consider donating during the challenge week (Tuesday 28th November to Tuesday 5th December) to help us towards our goal. Your donation will be worth double!

 

(It’s important to note that if you made a match funding pledge towards the campaign in the summer, you must not donate during the campaign as you would be effectively doubling your own donation and this isn't allowed by the Big Give.)