Jayess Newbiggin Brass Band starts fundraising to attend National Brass Band Championships

Jayess Newbiggin Brass Band won its division at the North of England Brass Band Championships in Durham for the second year running this month, qualifying for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain in the process.

After being named runners up at last year’s nationals, they are looking to raise £2,000 to help cover the cost of attending the 2023 event in Cheltenham this September.

36-year-old band manager Kayleigh Griffiths, from Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, said: “I think we have got every right to feel quite confident about it, but you never know and you can never take these things for granted. Everyone that is there is a winner.

“Nothing is ever guaranteed. We need to find out what the piece is, we need it to work it up, and get ready for it.

“We would like to win, it would be amazing, but everyone would like to win so we have just got to see, and there are going to be a lot of very good bands there.”

The band participated in its first competition in 2012 in the fourth section, the lowest division.

Since then they have worked up to the third section, and have secured promotion to the second section in 2024.

The band plays concerts in the area on a regular basis and says it is expecting to have a busy summer.

Kayleigh, whose instrument is the baritone horn, added: “It is good to get away with the band. We are a nice big family and we get on with each other as well, which is really nice.

“It is just exciting to be preparing for it again.”

“It is not cheap. We had a lot of support last year and got grants.

“We are asking people two years running for money, so we are very grateful for anything that anyone can give and any support we have.”

The money raised by the group will go towards transport costs for the trip to Cheltenham.

You can contribute at crowdfunder.co.uk/p/jayess-are-going-to-cheltenham-again