Belgrade Theatre's Making Memories Campaign Offers Tickets to HORRIBLE HISTORIES to Families in Need

This October half-term, a total of 120 free tickets to see Horrible Histories Live at the Belgrade Theatre were made available to local families facing difficult financial circumstances, providing them with a chance to enjoy the magic of live theatre which they might not otherwise have been able to afford.

This unique opportunity arose through the Belgrade Theatre's Making Memories campaign, which fundraises annually to help children in need to access theatre. Thanks to the incredible generosity of its audience members and supporters last Christmas, the campaign raised an amazing £10,206, enabling the Belgrade to offer 700 tickets to its Sleeping Beauty panto, with funds left over to cover the costs of tickets to Horrible Histories this autumn.

Families who benefit from Making Memories tickets are referred to the Belgrade via a number of partners including Coventry Foodbank and other charities. Recently, one of these referral agencies had this to say about the impact of Making Memories on their clients.

"Sexual violence can affect many people in a survivor's life: parents, friends, partners, children, spouses, classmates, etc., in many cases leading to mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and poor self-esteem. So for the parents & carers, survivors and their siblings to be offered the opportunity to attend the theatre (some of our families have never been before) to provide them with an experience they will treasure at this devastating and very difficult time in their lives is a truly generous gift."

Parents were also grateful for the opportunity for their children to enjoy a night out away from the challenges they face at home. One Making Memories audience member said, "To say thank you is not enough for the smile you helped place back on my children's faces."

The Belgrade Theatre would like to thank Birmingham Stage Company, which produces the Horrible Histories Live shows, for not only supporting them to offer these tickets, but for allowing them to set up Making Memories bucket collections at the Horrible Histories performances. These collections raised an additional £500 for the cause, money that will go towards offering even more opportunities for children to access theatre.

Volunteers from Gallagher Insurance have also been generous with their support, giving up their time to assist the Belgrade's fundraising team during the performances. After volunteering at the Belgrade's relaxed performance of Sleeping Beauty back in January, they have kindly pledged to help raise money for Making Memories as panto season gets underway.

The Belgrade's target for this year's Making Memories campaign is £9,000, a goal that you can help them reach by donating online at www.belgrade.co.uk/donate, in person at the box office, or by calling the Development team on 024 7684 6758.

By doing so, you'll be helping to make memories that will last a lifetime for children like Kayesha.

Kayesha lives in Coventry with her grandparents, mother and two younger brothers. For several years, Kayesha's mother has battled with her mental health and, during her darkest moments, has relied on family members to support Kayesha and her brothers. With no father figure in their lives, the children have struggled to cope with 'losing' their mother for short periods - which has left the entire family emotionally and financially drained. Kayesha loves to sing and make up dance routines in her bedroom, but has found it difficult to enjoy these activities whilst her mum isn't well. Kayesha is just 7 years of age, and enjoying Puss in Boots at the Belgrade will enable her to spend precious time with her family - singing and dancing, booing and hissing!

The Belgrade Theatre Trust is a registered charity (number 219163). This means that all of the money given to, raised or earned by the Theatre is not distributed as profit, but kept and reinvested in the work they do. Making Memories is just one strand of its work in the community, which includes a wide range of education programmes, youth and community theatre groups and talent development schemes.

For more information about the Belgrade Theatre's charitable work, please visit www.belgrade.co.uk/support-us.

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