We bid farewell to 2018 after an autumn/winter term filled with fun, creative magic and over £3,300 raised for the charity.
Busy times at WCTT: our first term of the year was a huge triumph thanks to the commitment, talent and sheer tenacity of our Young Actors, our creative team and the supporters and trustees who are all determined to make WCTT a continued success.
Last year, we worked incredibly hard to rally support and funding in order to keep the Young Actors Company free of charge. In autumn/winter 2018 this challenge continued with renewed focus.
In difficult times, particularly for the arts, the very survival of a small, local charity like ours depends completely on the generosity of others. We owe very special thanks this year to the Taylor Family Foundation and the Jack Petchey Foundation: funding from these fantastic organisations helps us to produce original theatre and arts projects with young people from all backgrounds across the community.
We also launched a fundraising committee this year, made up of parents, trustees and WCTT supporters. The committee meets on a monthly basis to discuss ideas for fundraising and to plan events that can help us raise the vital money we need to keep the charity going.
In our first term of fundraising, we completed three activities; a sponsored Walk of Fame on Wimbledon Common, a quiz night in New Wimbledon Theatre Time & Leisure Studio and a raffle at the December scratch performances.
Time for a selfie on the Wimbledon Common walk
Magnus Thorne, parent of Act 3 member, Calum, also kindly contributed to our fundraising. Magnus asked for donations to WCTT instead of birthday gifts when he celebrated a milestone birthday in November (happy 21st, Magnus).
Thanks to the enthusiastic walkers, the clever quizzers, the ‘feeling lucky’ rafflers and Magnus’s generosity, our fundraising total for the term is just over £3,330.
This money means so much to a small charity like ours. It will help to fund the spring term, when we’ll see the Young Actors Company premiere three original pieces of theatre in its Troubled Waters season, including a spectacular performance at the Royal Albert Hall, and to support our 2019 social and community engagement season in the summer term.
Act 3 take a bow at the end of their scratch performance in December
Through our fundraising, and the topical, issue-driven original theatre the Young Actors are producing, we’re not only raising awareness and building links across the community, we’re creating an extended family.
The bonds between our Young Actors, their loved ones, our creative team, the trustees, our partners and our sponsors are becoming ever stronger. As we continue to create, and to fight for the survival of our charity, we’re forging unbreakable bonds and friendships that will last for lifetimes.
This season, we’re celebrating the precious gift of those relationships – and we can’t wait to see where they will take us in 2019.
In the meantime, we’re wishing our very special WCTT family, and everyone who supports us, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
