FISHBURN Band are urging their friends, followers, and supporters to help them raise essential funds for care homes in their local community, as they continue to bear the brunt of the Covid-19 crisis.

The brass band, based in the village of Fishburn, near Sedgefield, County Durham, is trying to raise £900 to support care homes’ vital medical work and wellbeing activities – and are currently half-way there.

Like all music groups, the band are currently unable to rehearse together or give concerts but wanted to play their part in giving something back to the community that has supported them so heavily over the years.

While the band would usually be working hard towards a number of contests and summer concerts across the North-East, they have instead set up a Just Giving page to gather donations, and produced their first ‘virtual banding’ video performing the piece ‘Friend Like Me’ – a favourite from the band’s regular concert programmes.

Each member of the band recorded and filmed themselves at home, playing their part of the piece, before editing it all together to create one video. The full video can be found on Fishburn Band’s Facebook page, their Just Giving page, or here at /www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDhpa5lfSqs.

When the band can return to making music together safely, they will also host a concert in honour of the local care homes. They hope residents and staff will be able to attend as guests of honour.

The band asks regular supporters, those in the local area, other brass band colleagues, and anyone else who wishes to help them will support their efforts by donating to their cause. To donate, please visit: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/fishburn-band.

All donations will go towards helping the care homes that service the Fishburn area continue their work, caring for the elderly and vulnerable, including medical care during this crisis and continued wellbeing activities.

Band manager, Paul Brickle, said: “As a band firmly rooted in our local community and proud of the great work that goes on in our area, we wanted to do our bit to raise money for local causes that are working so hard in this unprecedented situation. Whilst we can’t wait to get back to the band room, we hope that raising these funds will go some way towards helping the community we love through this crisis.”