The Co-operative Society is well known for its ethos of putting something back into the communities in which it operates and one of its latest funding initiatives is set to provide a significant contribution to the Swaledale Festival - with the help of its members.
On 10 May Heather Hodgson, one of our Marketing co-ordinators, visited the Leyburn Branch to meet the people there and take some information about the Festival. Co-op members using the Leyburn Branch can currently go online choose Swaledale Festival to receive 1% of their spend on Co-op products and services. If you are not currently a member then you can join easily online to help the Festival and also receive benefits yourself for your membership.
Heather also came back with a lovely colourful banner to give further publicity to this particular appeal.
The Festival not only makes it possible for people to see and hear world class artistes in Dales venues, in whatisindependenty recognised as a 'culturally deprived area' due to its distance from major cities, it also helps to develop the careers of young professional musicians and students about to enter the profession, through its Young Artists Platform.The Festival also has an extensive and award winning educational and community programme sending musicians into both schools and care homes for the elderly. Schools are also often involved in longer projects involving both music and art, as this year with the Festival's Jazz Project involving schools in Catterick Garrison. The Co-op is currently supporting all these projects from members' contributions at its Leyburn Branch.
So, if you are in Leyburn, use the Co-op and help us to do even more to bring music and the arts to all the people of the Dales.
Events in Leyburn this year are