Two Hertfordshire based charities, Emmaus and Sunnyside Rural Trust, are supporting Electric Umbrella charity appeal for donations of 1,000 unwanted musical instruments to them by Christmas.
Electric Umbrella, which uses the power of live music to enhance the lives of learning disabled people, aims to collect 1,000 unwanted musical instruments by Christmas.
All donated instruments will be repaired, re-purposed or adapted by Electric Umbrella’s members providing invaluable work experience and training opportunities for the learning disabled community. Once repaired and restored the instruments will be sold to raise funds for the charity.
The charity has made some truly amazing instruments such as drum kits that strap on to wheelchairs, banana pianos, and a drill guitar which was invented so that a band member could use his foot to play the instrument.
Registered charity Emmaus offers formerly homeless individuals a safe and stable home in the community for as long as they need it, as well as support and training, and work opportunities in their social enterprises. They have kindly offered to act as a collection point for unwanted instruments for Electric Umbrella.
Duncan Lewis, CEO of Emmaus Hertfordshire, said:
“We’re really happy to support Electric Umbrella with its 1,000 instrument challenge. Upcycling, recycling and reusing is a core part of the Emmaus ethos, and by becoming a drop-off location for this scheme, we will help give lots of unwanted musical instruments a new lease of life.”
Sunnyside Rural Trust is also acting as a Donation Station for Electric Umbrella. It is a thriving charity and social enterprise offering training and work experience for vulnerable people. They train people with learning disabilities to acquire skills in a number of rural activities. These include beekeeping, looking after chickens, growing a wide range of plants and produce, landscaping and garden maintenance.
