Student music concerts raise £40k in 11 years for Lancaster hospice

Yvette Price has been getting ready for Christmas since summer.

Every year, for the past 11 years, she holds a Christmas concert to raise funds for St John's Hospice, where students perform to their family and friends.

Over these 11 years she has raised £40,000 for the Lancaster hospice.

Throughout the year Yvette Price contacts local organisations to ask for raffle prizes, who are always generous in their support for Yvette's fundraising efforts.

Yvette is currently busy finding and booking the right venue, designing certificates for participating students and other tasks.

Music students are already practising their Christmas music pieces; planning which piece they'd like to play so they have time to perfect it for the event.

Students also raise sponsorship monies and that's a competition in itself as they vie to see who can raise the most funds for their local hospice.

The student that raises the most money for St John's is gifted two free lessons from Yvette.

Yvette Price said: “So many people tell me that the annual concert traditionally starts their Christmas - that it means celebrations and joy are on their way.

“For the students it’s time to show their incredible hard work - all those hours of practising!

“I started fundraising for St John's through the Moonlight Walk - I once pushed my lovely mum in a wheelchair for 25km - nothing was stopping us!

“When I found out more about their work and realised how many people have benefitted from their work I was inspired to carry on.

“Even the pandemic didn't stop us as we moved our efforts to online events, and raised money with a pre-recorded event.

“I couldn't do this without the incredible support of the students, their families, the people who sponsor the students and the kind local businesses; I'm very grateful for all their help."

Lisa Morgan, fundraising manager, St John's Hospice said: “Yvette and her students are a joy to work with.

"A big thank you to Yvette, her students and their families, plus all those businesses who help make this special annual event happen.”