Leiston band to buy new brass instruments with £59,000 grant

A marching band said it would use a £59,000 grant it received from a nuclear power station to buy brass instruments, equipment and new uniforms.

The Band of The Royal British Legion in Leiston, Suffolk, is one of seven groups awarded a share of £485,384 from the Sizewell C Community Fund.

The group, which was founded more than 130 years ago, has 30 members and takes part in about 40 public performances annually.

Steve Lovett, a tuba player and the band’s chairman, said: “Our membership fell drastically during the Covid-19 pandemic and although numbers have begun to recover, the arrival of Sizewell C’s growing workforce gives us a fantastic opportunity to welcome even more new members.”

The community fund is managed by Suffolk Community Foundation and supports initiatives that promote the economic, social or environmental wellbeing of communities most affected by the construction of Sizewell C.

The band welcomes musicians of all ages and abilities and offers people the opportunity to socialise through music while support key community events, including civic parades, Remembrance Day services and Christmas concerts.

Lovett said: “Brass instruments can be expensive, and this funding will allow us to purchase new instruments so that people who may not be able to afford their own can still join in and play.

“This will help us become an even more inclusive, accessible and welcoming band for our whole community.

“Keeping our music current keeps our players engaged – and it always goes down well with the public,” he said.

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