A brass band that has been providing musical services to the Hauraki district for nearly 80 years needs to replace its instruments at an estimated cost of $169,000.
In a letter to the Hauraki District Council, the Kerepehi Brass Band has made a request for financial assistance.
Band patron John Tregidga said the band wantedto find good quality instruments for younger members to learn on.
“The last time the band had serious investment in its instruments was in the 1950s/60s and now many of these instruments are at the end of their usable life.
The band was founded in 1946, and originally aimed at “keeping boys out of trouble’.
Numbers fell to about seven in 2015 and the band was on the brink of disbanding. Now, there are three bands; the main band, a junior band and a social band.
Under new “vibrant, young” leadership, the band now has more than 45 members, of whom half arre under 40-years-old, a third under 25, and “many women and girls”.
A music teacher tutors two groups, totalling 13 young people, of whom half were Māori and Pasifika locals.
Band members come from all over the Hauraki district and beyond, including Thames and Te Kauwhata.
Many members, both young and old, come from households that struggle financially.
The Kerepehi Brass Band get their stride on.
The band said a significant number of new members could not afford to buy their own instruments and it wanted to provide instruments to those members.
In a report to the council, to be considered at its June 26 meeting, community development advisor Katie McLaren said the band did a lot within the Hauraki district, including supporting civic and non-civic Anzac services, sessions at retirement establishments, school events and other community events.
The costs involved in replacing the instruments (soprano cornet, cornets, tenor horns, baritone horns, euphoniums, EEb bass, BBb bass, bass trombone and tenor trombones) was estimated at around $169,000 with quotes supplied for mid-range replacement instruments that would last the band more than 30 years.
The $169,000 investment was needed for the continued success of the band, and they had advised it to be a two or three-year project, with the replacement of instruments as money was raised.
The band has raised $15,000 so far but has only been successful with one funding application, $5000 from Trust Waikato.
Of the two options, either providing or not providing a grant to the band, council staff recommended proceeding with providing funds, as council funding might be favourable when the band applied to other external funding sources for the project.
There is $235,000 available for allocation to community groups.
