Dear ERSO players,
We hope you are all well and enjoying the summer.
We are excited to get back to rehearsals again in September and wanted to let you know about our forthcoming concerts as well as a couple of other key things.
Staying safe at ERSO
The easing of restrictions does not mean risk of Covid has disappeared, and so groups like ours still need measures in place to ensure they are providing a safe environment. We would like to get your input to help the committee to determine the best solution for our players. All responses will be treated with strict confidentiality.
Thank you in advance for completing our survey which can be found by following this link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/3YQ8ZMW
Members’ donations
As we’ll be getting back to a fuller schedule it seems timely to mention members donations. It costs over £30,000 per year to run ERSO and as a result of our much smaller concerts last season, donations by members were the lowest for many years. Instead of a formal subscription system or ‘pay to play’ policy we choose to ask for voluntary donations to help towards the running costs of the orchestra. We also generate income through ticket sales, financial support from the Ernest Read Trust and run a fundraising programme, approaching Trust and Funds for grants, but none of these sources are guaranteed.
| Donation recommendation | |
| Annual | £100.00 |
| Per concert | £25.00 |
| Monthly standing order | £8.00 |
Please note that these are only recommendations, and some members donate more or less as they feel appropriate. The recommended annual donation works out as £3.70 for a half day rehearsal if you were to attend them all this season – good value for three hours of high-quality music making in London! These suggested donations are also significantly lower than many other London amateur orchestras of a similarly high standard. In many of these orchestras, fees are mandatory.
We understand that pensioners, students and those on low incomes or who are unemployed etc may find making any donation difficult and we want to emphasise that there is no obligation to donate if this applies to you. We would much rather have you on board making music with us! If you are in a position to make donations without creating any hardship, particularly if you are in full-time employment, it would be greatly appreciated.
Find out how to pay and to increase your donation through GiftAid at Members’ donations
Next season – let your fixer know which concerts you can do
ERSO 