Music Venue Trust is a UK Registered Charity which acts to protect, secure and improve UK Grassroots Music Venues for the benefit of venues, communities and upcoming artists. Their ‘Own Our Venues’ scheme aims to secure the long-term futures of such venues by directly tackling the issue of ownership.

The first venue purchased by Music Venue Properties, the independent Charitable Community Benefit Society, created by Music Venue Trust is The Snug, a 100 person capacity venue in Atherton, Greater Manchester. The official launch of The Snug took place in the morning of October 4th, and included the unveiling of a commemorative plaque.

Music Venue Properties announce first venue purchase with shares bought by the live music community! @SnugAtherton has become the first acquisition under #OwnOurVenues scheme!

Official Launch Event held today at The Snug to Celebrate new ownership +unveil a commemorative plaque! pic.twitter.com/HmDamLlrRl

— Music Venue Trust (@musicvenuetrust) October 4, 2023

The event was attended by many of those who had a direct impact in bringing this initiative to life, including Mark Davyd, CEO and Founder of Music Venue Trust, The Snug’s owner/operator Rachael Flaszczak, John Whittingdale, Minister for Creative Industries, Claire Mera-Nelson Director of Music for Arts Council England, Rhoda Dakar & Chris Prosser of the Music Venue Properties Board. Local musicians were also in attendance – Ivor Novello winner Jamie Lawson and 16 year old Jennifer King who is a shareholder in MVP.

The venue’s current operators have signed a ‘cultural lease’, which is an innovative agreement specifically created by MVP to guarantee that, as long as The Snug operates as a space for grassroots live music for their local community, they can enjoy the use of the building.

When commenting on the subject of the recent acquisition, Managing Director of The Snug Rachael Flaszczak said “The Snug being purchased by Music Venue Properties means everything to me, my team and our community, as it allows us to continue to provide this very important space to up & coming artists for many years to come.

We now feel secure and confident to plan ahead knowing the venue is in safe hands with people that have a shared vision of the future of new music. To be the first of many serves as a light of hope that the preservation of Grassroots Music Venues can be done when people pull together to make things happen, and The Snug can keep showcasing the cultural life within our community.”

Riding the high of the scheme’s first purchase, The Snug will no doubt pave the way in the security of many UK Grassroots music venues.

Among the items donated from the stars include Noel Gallagher’s iconic Adidas Stan Smiths, Brian May’s Vox amplifier and Cliff Richard has donated one of his personal shirts.

Teenage Cancer Trust’s Star Boot Sale is an online charity auction and raffle which will run up until 6 May 2021; more than 50 stars have donated items to the cause. Writing about the fundraiser on Instagram, the Trust said: “Star Boot Sale Some of our favourite stars have joined us for a springtime clear out, with over 130 fantastic items up for grabs in our Star Boot Sale fundraiser! Just a few of the items up for grabs are… @hollywilloughby’s LK Bennett dress (worn on This Morning)@brianmayforreal’s signed amp @craigdavid’s trainers …and many more! Auction and raffle open until 6 May at 8pm. Head to the link on our bio to get bidding!”

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The Who’s Roger Daltry, a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, has donated several items, including clothes and an amplifier. Speaking on the Trust and the fundraiser, he said: “Young people with cancer are particularly at risk from coronavirus. And right now, Teenage Cancer Trust-funded nurses and support teams are going above and beyond to provide the care they need at a time when healthcare services are under huge pressure. They are amazing people – but not many people realise that their work is completely reliant on fundraised income and donations. So please get involved in this new fundraiser if you can. Our friends from across the entertainment industry have searched their cupboards and donated some great stuff and remember every penny raised will make a difference.”

In a statement on the Star Boot Sale, Teenage Cancer Trust wrote: “We hope that this new fundraiser will help us recoup some of the money we’ve lost after cancelling our fundraising events due to the pandemic.” They continued: “Every day, seven young people aged 13-24 hear the words “you have cancer”. Cancer can throw young people’s lives into chaos. Even for those who recover, it can have a lasting impact on their future. You can make sure specialised Teenage Cancer Trust nurses, support teams, and hospital units are there for them, throughout their cancer treatment and beyond. Together, we can reach every young person facing cancer.”

From across the entertainment industry and continents, celebrities have pitched in to raise money, including Beyoncé, who has donated an Adidas bag, signed by herself and her former band members from Destiny’s Child. Sir Ian McKellen has donated signed posters, Russell Howard has donated a meet and greet for his upcoming tour, to name a few of the 90 items up for grabs.

The Teenage Cancer Trust is a charity working to provide care for young people living with cancer. The donated items are available to buy at teenagecancertrust.org, and some items have been added to a £5 ticket raffle, giving people the chance to win some of the iconic pieces for a small price; all proceeds will go to the Teenage Cancer Trust.

‘Group Therapy,’ based in London, is a label and collective. They work to promote previously unheard music from a range of artists and raise money for charity.

Featuring on the second compilation are over 50 artists, including Sinead O’Brien and The Big Moon, in a mission to raise money for mental health charities Black Minds Matter UK and Help Musicians. The compilation, available via Bandcamp, has so far raised over £2000.

Writing about the release of Volume two on Instagram, ‘Group Therapy’ said: “We are very proud to release Group Therapy Vol. 2, a collection of 54 covers, demos, live sessions & more from some of our favourite artists. You can purchase it now via our bandcamp as a digital download, and a very limited triple cassette bundle. Each purchase comes with digital liner notes, featuring more information about the release, and quotes and messages from the artists involved.”

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In a statement accompanying the album on Bandcamp, ‘Group Therapy’ creators Tash and Ella wrote: “Thank you to Jamal & Georgia at Route, to Harriet & to every artist who generously donated their wonderful music and time to help put this album together. Thank you to Black Minds Matter UK and Help Musicians for raising awareness & funds to support those struggling with poor mental health. Now more than ever we need to be supporting initiatives that allow people to access support, and are opening up conversations about mental health. Both these organisations offer invaluable and accessible services, as well as education around the topic.”

The creators continued: “We saw when reaching out to artists for this compilation that so many had their own stories and experiences with mental health, it’s become so clear that this is something that so many people in the UK live with. Saying this, we look to the future and see a much brighter one, where there are open, honest conversations about mental health and those who are suffering can use a wealth of resources to get support catered for their needs and individual experience.”

Volume one of the ‘Group Therapy’ charity compilation was released last May. Featuring Shame, Porridge Radio, Sorry and many other artists, the compilation includes over 60 tracks. The proceeds of Volume one went to The Music Venues Trust and NHS Charities Together.

‘Group Therapy’ charity compilation Volume two is now available to purchase via Bandcamp. The digital album costs £7. The profits raised from the sale of the compilation will go to Black Minds Matter UK and Help Musicians, the charity behind Music Minds Matter.

Below is  the tracklisting for the compilation:

Delmer Darion – ‘St Louis [Acoustic Tape Version]’
Ben Vince – ‘Riverbed’
Uma – ‘Water Wax (ft Amy May Ellis) [Demo]’
Drug Store Romeos & The Orielles – ‘M. Dream (Cover)’
Park Motive – ‘Oval Frame (Version 2)’
Famous – ‘One Night in Tottenham (Demo)’
ADAER – ‘Desire Lines (Cover)’
Low Spirits – ‘When It’s Cold I’d Like To Die (Cover)’
Loose Articles, eleni poulou & Alan Dunn – ‘Mountains’
Sonny Bliss – ‘Silk Woes (6a6y 6)’
deathcrash – ‘People thought my windows were stars (Live at St Pancras Old Church)’
Katy J Pearson – ’30th Century Man (Cover)’
William Doyle – ‘Familiar Surroundings’
The Golden Dregs – ‘Return (Cover)’
Jeremy Tuplin & DG Solaris – ‘Idle’
The Big Moon – ‘It Could Happen (Demo)’
Blackaby – ‘Hairstyle (Demo)’
Babeheaven – ‘What Does it Take (Cover)’
Ted Mair – ‘Scant’
Phoebe Green – ‘Seasonal Depression (Demo)’
Sinead O’Brien – ‘A List of Ordinary Sins’
Kiran Leonard – ‘Singing the Classics’
Beau Mec – ‘Goody Two Shoes (6a6y 6)’
Chubby and the Gang – ‘Heading Out (Cover)’
DAMEFRISØR – ‘Autumn (Demo)’
Regressive Left – ‘Room With a View (Live Session)’
PINS – ‘All Hail (Live in York)’
wych elm – ‘Hey (Cover)’
bdrmm – ‘Is That What You Wanted to Hear? (Live from the Nave)’
Gary, Indiana – ‘Housecoats’
Talk Show Vs Robbie & Mona – ‘Queen Celine (Cover)’ & ‘Stress (Remix)’
Yard Act – ‘Gangsters (Cover)’
Home Counties – ‘Ad Gammon’
TV Priest – ‘Fathers and Sons (Instrumental Demo)’
Holiday Ghosts – ‘Cowboy Builders (Live Demo)’
Warmduscher – ‘Salamander (Live at The Windmill)’
Comfort – ‘Calm the Crowd (Live in Nantes)’
Merlin Nova – ‘FLESHY FODDER (WARNING BELLS) [Live at The Windmill]’
Powerplant – ‘Dungen (Demo)’
Do Nothing – ‘Eating Glue (Cover)’
Crows – ‘Blinding Lights (Cover)’
Fragile One – ‘Seen on a Screen (6a6y 6)’
ZZ Bop – ‘Last Tango in Utrecht (Demo)’
Algernon Cornelius – ‘WRONG’
THIS IS SATSFACTION OF ENMITY – ‘Ascension to Luminescent Knout (6a6y 6)’
YAANG – ‘Bootleg’
Nuha Ruby Ra – ‘Sparky (Flamingods Remix)’
Grove – ‘Ur Boyfriend’s Wack (Ur Worst Nightmare Remix)’
Paddywak – ‘White Rabbit (Cracken Remix)’
Courting – ‘Popshop! (Treptower Remix)’
TAAHLIAH – ‘Brave (Transcendent House Mix)’
Sweat – ‘What Men Want (Live at SweatNet)’
Faux Real – ‘Come Thru’
Jessica Winter – ‘Sleep Forever’

Prints of the iconic artists being sold include Stormzy, David Bowie, Liam Gallagher, Bob Marley, Arctic Monkeys, The Streets, Tina Turner, Fatboy Slim, Alice Cooper, Sting and many more. Photographer Ed Robinson who organised the funding for ‘Prints For Music,’ hopes to raise over 100k in support of the live music sector.

In an Interview with Music Week Robinson said, “Like so many others, the struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected me deeply on a personal level as well as professionally. I have reached out to the people I know in the music and photographic industries with the simple idea to try to help those who are not getting the support they need to survive this crisis.”

He added, “For many photographers who have been privileged enough to have been given access to photograph these artists, it has only been made possible by the efforts of their production teams. None of these photographs would have been possible without the artists and those who support them. This initiative is our way of giving back in their time of need. It will help preserve their livelihoods and enable the shows to go on in the future.”

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The funds that are raised will be offered as grants to out-of-work production and technician stuff in the live music sector. The impact of the coronavirus has left thousands of musicians and industry workers without jobs and struggling. Thousands of gigs, live music venues, concert halls and festivals have had to cancel or reschedule events throughout this year and the next. The UK is the second biggest music industry globally (after the US) and in 2020, Oxford economics reported that music jobs will amount to 77,000, which is a 60% drop compared with 2018.

The report noted that the, “economy would drop by $3bn, with the collapse in live music and touring being the single biggest factor contributing to the decline.” It also stated that live music would be effectively “decimated across the whole of 2020” and that the recovery would take at least three to four years to return to where it was in 2019.

Until the government makes decisions on when live music will be able to return, charities such as ‘Stagehand’ play a big part in helping musicians  keep up their hopes of returning to their livelihood. Music Week stated that chair of Stagehands board of trustee’s, Mike Lowe said,  “The livelihoods of people working in live music productions has been decimated by the effects of Covid-19. Every day we hear from people who are struggling and Stagehand is raising funds to help those in most need, with the simple aim of helping to keep roofs over heads and food on tables.”

Priced at £95, prints can be purchased from the ‘Prints For Music’ website up until 11th December.