Support us

The Festival and its associated events are run by volunteers which keeps our costs low. Any help in organising and running our events is very welcome. If you are interested in volunteering please email our Secretary or Chairman, Ges Ray.

The role of a Festival volunteer is vital to our day-to-day running. It’s also highly rewarding and is a great opportunity to meet fellow singers and gain a deeper insight into the mechanics of the Festival.

Whether you have a few hours to spare as, for example, a steward on Festival days, or have skills to contribute in a more involved way, we’d love to have you on board. The Leith Hill Music Festival is currently delivering an exciting rebranding plan including a new website, new logo, a new face to the world. We are looking for experienced and enthusiastic volunteers to help with this work within the marketing team. The different areas of work are:

Marketing

Do you have communications or marketing experience? You will work with the Principal Officers of the Leith Hill Music Festival to help set the Festival on a successful path to deliver its marketing goals. Your role would include liaising with agencies on our rebranding project and the new LHMF website.

Public Relations

We would love to hear from you if you are a public relations professional or if you have excellent communication skills and enjoy developing good relationships and can spare some time to volunteer with us. You will share good news and promote the festival through press releases, leaflets, photography, videos and newsletters.

Digital Marketing

Do you enjoy using social media? Would you enjoy the challenge of developing the Festival’s social media presence and growing our audience using your digital skills?

If you have experience in these areas and can spare some time to help we would love to hear from you. We can offer training if you’d like a skills refresher. Alternatively, if you know anyone who is looking for experience in marketing and digital communications and would like to work with us, please ask them to get in touch.

For more information and to discuss your interest in any of these roles please email our Secretary or Chairman, Ges Ray.

Other volunteer opportunities include stewarding on March and April Festival days and Youth Competition days; programme sales; secretarial assistance and helping with fundraising events. And if you enjoy making lists and have a large table, our Music Librarian Gill Moir needs you.

Friends and Patrons of the Leith Hill Music Festival provide crucial support for the work of one of the UK’s greatest choral events.

Friends and Patrons of the Leith Hill Music Festival provide crucial support for the work of one of the UK’s great choral events.

Our Friends and Patrons Scheme is presently seeking a new Secretary – could this be you?

Leith Hill Music Festival is a registered charity founded in 1905, the purpose of which is essentially musical education. This is pursued by running competitions for adult and youth choirs and by putting on concerts. This educates the performers and (hopefully) the listeners, as well as raising standards. To do this effectively, concerts need to be of a good standard and the Festival employs a professional conductor, Jonathan Willcocks, professional orchestras and soloists.

However to charge the full sustainable cost would defeat the object of educating the public because the concerts would become out of the price bracket many people could afford. The Festival's financial aim is to maintain sufficient reserves to stay in business, but this means that fundraising is needed throughout the year.

The Festival is very grateful to all those who have helped, and continue to help its work through their generous donations. Donations or bequests in wills can be made either to the Festival or to the LHMF Trust. As both are registered charities, bequests to either are entirely fee of tax, while Gift Aid form here enables tax to be recovered on life-time gifts.

The Festival (charity registered number 275176) will generally use your money to meet day-to-day requirements. Please contact the Hon Treasurer for more information.

The LHMF Trust (registered charity 1001934) will use your money for the ongoing benefit of the Festival. The Trust is a capital fund established to secure the long-term success of the Festival. Investment income from the fund helps the Festival maintain and improve its high musical standards and encourages greater involvement of young singers; and would support projects that would otherwise be beyond the Festival’s resources.

Mrs Ann-Christine Harland is the Chair of the Trust and will be pleased both to receive donations on behalf of the LHMF Trust and also to supply information about making bequests and other matters concerning the Trust. She may be contacted by email here.

The Festival is extremely grateful for the Trust’s ongoing support.

Could you help display posters in your local area or take leaflets to another event you’re attending? Your choir should have a stock, or please ask the Festival Organiser for some.

If you use Social Media, follow @LeithHillFest on Twitter and chat online to the virtual community. If you ‘like’ our Facebook page please share our posts with your friends too.

If your choir is in contact with local press, mention that you’re part of LHMF and maybe you could send them a photo and report on how you fared in the competition?

Please contact us for further ideas and support.

Our full-colour April concert programmes are supported by advertising. It is a great way to reach both singers and audience members. Audiences attending our concerts come from around the country, but chiefly from nearby London, Surrey, Hampshire and Sussex.

Corporate sponsorship packages are also available.