Sheffield's Music in the Gardens to support local charities

One of South Yorkshire's largest open air festivals, Music in the Gardens, will return to Sheffield's Botanical Gardens this summer to fill the venue with music in the name of charity.
Band in full swing last yearBand in full swing last year
Band in full swing last year

The charitable organisations set to benefit from this year’s festival have been announced and include the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind, WORK Ltd., Lighthouse Homes, Weston Park Cancer Charity, Aquabox and Huntington’s Disease Association.

Organised by the Rotary Clubs of South Yorkshire, Music in the Gardens will take place from 29th June – 1st July, bringing together a unique line-up of tribute acts including British theatre success The Magic of Motown and talented local brass bands. Each day of the festival will see money raised for a different pair of charities, each nominated by South Yorkshire’s Rotary Clubs who hope to add to the £330,000 Music in the Gardens has raised for worthy causes since launching in 2004.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

This year kicks off on Friday 29th June, with top tribute acts Michael the Legacy and Ultimate Bowie, who will be raising money for WORK Ltd. and the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind (SRSB) – both local charities committed to improving the lives of those they support. WORK Ltd., which offers valuable life skills and training to people with learning disabilities, has grown from humble beginnings to provide services to over 70 students. The charity relies on public donations to run, alongside proceeds from its café and gift shop. The money raised by the festival will allow WORK Ltd. to support its diverse programme of activities, which includes woodwork, sport and music.

SRSB, also supported on the opening night of the festival, is an independent charity which helps over 3,600 visually impaired people through various mobile and in-home services, as well as regularly hosting community events, training sessions for the partially sighted and activities for children.

Day two of Music in the Gardens is set to be soulful shindig courtesy of 2016 Royal Variety performers The Magic of Motown, who will be supporting Weston Park Cancer Charity and Lighthouse Homes.

Lighthouse Homes is a charity committed to tackling homelessness, offering somewhere safe to sleep for displaced members of the community and connecting them with opportunities for work to create long-term solutions to poverty. Weston Park Cancer Charity also aims to alleviate suffering, using its financial donations to fund research into improving cancer treatments and enabling community transport for patients.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ticket sales from the final night will allow fans of Unite the Union Brass Band and the Sheffield Philharmonic Orchestra to support two great charities while enjoying lively renditions of musical hits. Aquabox and Huntington’s Disease Association are the final charities of the festival to benefit from Rotary Club support.

Aquabox takes its mission further afield, bringing water filters and humanitarian aid to communities that have endured devastating natural disasters, while the Huntington’s Disease Association provides support to people with Huntington’s and their families.

Andrew Bates, organiser of Music in the Gardens, said: “For many, Music in the Gardens is a highlight of the summer social calendar and we’re proud to announce such a varied line-up of music for this year’s event. We wanted to provide something for everyone, whilst continuing to support charities which are close the hearts of Rotarians across South Yorkshire.

“One of our most difficult tasks every year is choosing which charities to support, but this year we’ve selected SRSB, WORK Ltd., Lighthouse Homes, Weston Park Cancer Charity, Aquabox and Huntington’s Disease Association. Each cause does fantastic work either locally or on a wider scale, and they’re all deserving of our support.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Music in the Gardens is a great opportunity for families, friends and everyone in the area to come together, enjoy live music and be heartened knowing that it’s all for a good cause.”

Tickets for music in the Gardens are available now from the Sheffield City Hall Box Office, online at SIV tickets and over the phone on 0114 22 33 777. They cost £11 for children under 16 and £22-28 for adults. Children under 18 months old do not require a ticket for entry.