Donating your Old Coins and Notes can help you to #PlayYourPart.

Blackpool’s Grand Theatre is asking its customers and supporters and anyone passing the theatre to donate their old £1 coins, £5 and £10 Notes towards our #PlayYourPart charity campaign.

It’s been estimated there are over £430 million pounds worth of old £1 coins in circulation imagine what just a small amount of these could do to support the great work the theatre does in engaging children, families and seniors in their Creative Learning Programme.

Research by YouGov for the Royal Mint found that around 5% of the public were already planning on donating their leftover coins to a good cause.

During a recent survey of audience members who had attended The Grand Theatre, over 68% were surprised to hear that the venue was a charitable, not-for-profit organisation. So, on the International Day of Charity (5 September), The Grand launched a local and regional campaign, #PlayYourPart, to raise awareness of the great work The Grand does in and for Blackpool and the region.

The Grand is more than just a beautiful, Grade II* listed building. It’s an active charity with social, educational and artistic aims. Employing 47 permanent staff members and with the help of 85 dedicated volunteers, the theatre attracts thousands of visitors to the town to enjoy the work on its stages. In addition, it runs a full programme of workshops for children and young people, in and out of school, focused on improving literacy, numeracy, social skills and confidence.

Ruth Eastwood Grand Theatre CEO said;

‘The Grand survives on the generosity of donations and the support of its locals. Hearing how many old coins are still in circulation, a way for them to be put to great use for the local community is a great idea. We hope to have great success, please do just pop in and drop them off!

‘Last year, 10,000 school children benefitted from discounted tickets to see performances at the theatre. A further 3,000 young people performed on the stage as part of Au Revoir Review and Schools Alive a 30 local schools are part of our literacy project in partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company. So, you can be assured these old coins will go towards great projects.’

Following huge success when launching #PlayYourPart on International Day of Charity the theatre will be taking part in UK Charity Week 4 to 10 December where the theatre will be asking people to help raise money in aid of Blackpool’s Grand Theatre.

Blackpool’s Grand also took part in the annual Remember A Charity Week (12 to 18 September). This awareness week aims to raise the profile of Legacy Giving and encourage the public to consider leaving a gift in their Will.

The Grand aims to give every local child access to its work. To do this the theatre must raise funds to help grow its participation programme of events that allow children to grow and develop. These programmes are not for the privileged few but for all. We aim to cover costs and, where possible, the theatre offers as many free places as it can.

You can drop your old Coins (£1), as well as £5 and £10 Notes to our box office staff or in one of our collection buckets at the beginning and end of the show – so even if you are just passing you can hand in those old coins and putting them to great use in the Arts… There are lots of ways people can help make a difference…

You can make a one-off donation to the Grand Theatre you can go to the website blackpoolgrand.co.uk/donations or if you’d like to set up a regular donation, look at the Charity Aid Foundation (CAF)’s Long-Term Giving. They offer tailored philanthropy services, knowledge and expertise, to help you fulfil your charitable ambitions. They work with over 2,000 high net worth individuals in a variety of ways, from providing valuable administration of their charitable giving through to expert advice on a long term giving strategy.

The Grand’s #PlayYourPart campaign encourages people to think about supporting the theatre by donating or by leaving a legacy to the theatre. Any gifts we receive will help introduce, encourage and develop children in the arts and allow them to express, explore and develop their natural talents.

So, please help The Grand, #PlayYourPart and put those old Coins and Notes to great use helping us make Blackpool an even better place to live, work and learn.

BLACKPOOL GRAND THEATRE (ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTS) LIMITED – The purpose of the Charity is “to promote, maintain, improve, assist and advance public education, appreciation and understanding of the arts including the arts of design, drama, mime, dance, singing and music and, to formulate, prepare and establish schemes therefor”. Our vision, aims and objectives for the theatre identify how we will deliver on those purposes and are expressed fully in our current business plan. The vision that shapes our work is to make the Grand Theatre ‘the theatre of choice for the people of Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre; a local resource of national significance’.

The charity aims to:

a. Support the continued development of creativity and learning in the local and wider community
b. Welcome new and existing audiences presenting a programme that will inspire, challenge and entertain through its cultural and artistic diversity
c. Contribute to Blackpool’s vibrant cultural heritage through programming and being a centre of excellence for the enjoyment of the performing arts
d. Enhance and conserve the integrity of the Grade II* listed Victorian theatre
e. Ensure the long term financial sustainability of the theatre
Many strategies are employed to achieve these, from targeted discounting, to audio-described performances for the blind, plus BSL signed and captioned performances, to guided tours and partnership working with many and varied stakeholders