Funder – The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland
by DEMOCRAT REPORTER
Dumbarton and District Pipe Band is a local community group based in Dumbarton that supports children and adults to learn, play and enjoy traditional music in a pipe band.
Today they are celebrating obtaining £19,996 from the National Lottery Community Fund Scotland, which we will use to support our teaching system in the band and enable us to provide more opportunities for young people to learn valuable skills as musicians.
The band, forced out of their hall by a West Dunbartonshire Council rent increase which they could not afford, was formed in 1968 and wears the Red Lennox tartan, which is local to the Dumbarton area.
Over the years, the band has competed in various grades of competition run by the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association as well as supporting events in our local community such as the annual Armistice Day Parade, Christmas light switch-ons and other community events.
“However, in recent years the band has suffered from a decline in membership, and earlier this year the band had to return the premises that they had used for 25 years to West Dunbartonshire Council due to their imposition of a substantial rent increase.
“Despite these setbacks, the band has continued onwards with a teaching programme, meeting twice a week in the Dumbarton area and still turning out for community events.
The funding will allow the band to support some of the current Tutors to obtain formal qualifications and for the band to employ external tutors to improve the standards within the band. The funding will also support the use of halls as practice facilities and allow us to provide more opportunities for young people in the Dumbarton area.
Sandy Johnston, President of Dumbarton and District Pipe Band, says: “We are delighted that the National Lottery Community Fund has recognised the work that the band does with young people.
“And provided us with the financial support to continue and improve. Playing in a pipe band is much more than just playing an instrument, as young people gain a wide variety of skills such as teamwork, organisational skills, coping with pressure, as well as improving cultural knowledge and having fun.
“This funding will increase opportunities for young people in our local area to access quality tuition and become the pipers and drummers of tomorrow.”
Mark Dunlop, Pipe Major says: “We want to thank the National Lottery for their support and also the Renton Bowling Club and Dumbarton Football Club who provide the facilities where the band currently practice. Losing our hall was a major blow, and it is great how this funding from the Lottery plus the support that we receive from our local community will allow us to thrive and grow”
National Lottery players raise over £32 million a week for good causes across the UK. Thanks to them, the National Lottery Community Fund distributes over £600 million a year through more than 13,000 grants. The funder plans to invest over £4 billion of funding into communities by 2030. It supports projects across the whole of the UK to turn their truly life-changing ideas into reality.
To find out more, visit The National Lottery Community Fund website.
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