The Downton Band is celebrating the award of a grant to kick-start a new training band project called 'Bash & Blow'.

Lottery award

The band has recently celebrated 140 years of music making and will be launching the training band in September to encourage young and old to take up brass and percussion instruments — helped by the award of just over £6,500 from the People's Postcode Lottery Trust.

We want to make access to music making open to everyone so there will also be a bursary available for those who genuinely cannot afford the subscriptionsMD. Paul Williams

Access to music

Downton's MD Paul Williams told 4BR: "The money will go towards purchasing new instruments so that anyone interested in learning will be able to use a brand new one come September!"

He added: "We want to make access to music making open to everyone so there will also be a bursary available for those who genuinely cannot afford the subscriptions.

We are delighted that we already have a list of eager training band participants ahead of the launch."