Director’s Update
Hello,
I can’t believe that it has been four weeks since we closed the Pavilion to you, our community.
I am still finding it challenging not to walk into and be inspired by such a beautiful building every day. I hope that our local community are enjoying the building from the outside on their seafront walks and bike rides (two metres apart of course!) and that our online community are enjoying our social media updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
It was wonderful to see our Pavilion team together again yesterday when we had a virtual staff meeting powered by Zoom. Everyone reports being well and making the most of their furloughed status, although they are all looking forward to coming back when it is safe to do so.
I have been personally moved by the response to #clapforourcarers every Thursday evening from balconies, doorways, front gardens and windows. We are pleased to continue to thank our wonderful NHS, carers and key workers by keeping our blue lights shining every night.
Since the last update, we have been concentrating on re-scheduling our live events and working strategically on fundraising. I’d like to thank everyone for their patience regarding this and their generosity in not asking for a refund but donating the ticket money to us instead.
Today, the government has made it easier for us to administer converting your ticket money into a donation. If you are a current UK tax payer please consider ticking the Gift Aid box when asked, as this will increase your donation by an extra 25% at no extra cost to you and to reclaim the valuable Gift Aid attached. Read more about this here.
People have also joined us as new members, and to them I would say – welcome! If you would like to join them, just click here.
We have taken some time to look at the support that is out there for artists, creative practitioners, businesses and vulnerable people in our community and have published it here. I do hope that you will find it useful.
We are continuing to talk to our core funders Rother District Council and Arts Council England, our cultural networks such as East Sussex Music Hub and 1066 Music City, local businesses through the Bexhill Chamber of Commerce, regional bodies such as East Sussex County Council and South East LEP and our tourism partners 1066 Country, England’s Creative Coast and Sussex Modern, as well as our networks of artists, educators and facilitators. All partners want to ensure that when we come out the other side of this crisis, we will emerge as a strong and resilient community.
Thank you for your continued support.
Stewart Drew
Director & CEO
#yourpavilion
DLWP has been bringing communities together through culture for 85 years. We have lost half our income overnight and we need your support more than ever. We are your Pavilion – please donate today. Thank you.
Posted by Laura Sayers on Sunday 19 April 2020