Play to the Crowd Survival Appeal Reaches £200,000

The Survival Fundraising Appeal of Play to the Crowd - the arts and education charity which runs Theatre Royal Winchester, Hat Fair and Playmakers - has announced this week, that their fundraising efforts have reached the milestone of £200,000. The charity needs to raise a total of £225,000 by the end of September in order to survive beyond the Covid crisis.

Deryck Newland, Chief Executive, comments 'Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has made a donation, shared the details of our appeal or sent a message of support. It's been truly overwhelming. If you've not donated - now is the time - we've still got to raise £25,000 by the end of the month in order for the charity to survive beyond the Covid crisis.'

The £200,000 raised includes donations and pledges made offline and online through Play to the Crowd's Crowdfunder page. The charity has received substantial donations from Winchester Rotary, Winchester Musicals and Operatic Society and Rathbones as well as messages of support from well-known faces including theatrical royalty Dame Judi Dench and Sian Phillips, comedians Marcus Brigstocke and Mark Watson, and high profile theatre companies such as Motionhouse.

The charity has also submitted an application to the DCMS Cultural Recovery Fund - the £1.57 billion support package announced by the government. Arts Council England will be administering this fund and have been given £500 million to distribute to the arts. If Play to the Crowd are successful in their application the monies will help to manage ongoing risks and uncertainties around Covid 19 - this is particularly pertinent as they've had to take the difficult decision to postpone their pantomime Aladdin until 2021. There is no guarantee that the charity will receive any of this funding and it will not help them with their Survival Appeal as applicants do not learn of the decisions until 5 October.

Deryck continues, 'We know it's tough out there but if you are able to make a donation - whatever the size - we will be extremely grateful.'

Donations to Play to the Crowd's Survival Appeal can be made via its Crowdfunder page www.crowdfunder.co.uk/playtothecrowd, via cheque (made payable to Play to the Crowd) and sent to Theatre Royal Winchester, Jewry Street, SO23 8SB or call Theatre Royal Winchester's Box Office on 01962 840 440. For further information contact Kirstie Mathieson, Communications and Development Director kirstie@playtothecrowd.co.uk.

In order to help raise funds the theatre's Cafe Bar has reopened, opening Tuesday to Saturday 10am - 3pm. An outdoor seating area has been created on Tower Street and Covid secure measures have been put in place.