Nordoff Robbins is looking ahead to the 2021 edition of the O2 Silver Clef Awards after confirming this year's event will not go ahead for the first time in its 45-year history.
The fundraiser, which was due to be staged on July 3, is the latest event to be cancelled as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Next year’s awards will take place on Friday, July 2, 2021, at JW Marriott Grosvenor House, London.
Past Silver Clef Award recipients include Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Dame Shirley Bassey and The Rolling Stones. The event is the biggest annual fundraiser for music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins and last year raised a record-breaking £1 million to support its work with vulnerable and isolated children and adults.
“The decision not to go ahead with the awards this year, although the right one, has still been tough for all involved," said Emma Banks, chair of O2 Silver Clef Awards Committee. "The music industry has long supported Nordoff Robbins because what better charity to get behind than one which uses music to bring so much joy, comfort and hope to people experiencing so many different challenges in life?
"We’re determined to continue to support its fantastic work and we’ll work hard to continue to support the charity through these tough times. Our thanks to some in the industry such as Peter Leathem of PPL who continues to showcase his support for the wider music community by donating their sponsorship fee from this year’s cancelled event to the charity.”
As we get no Government funding the support of the music industry is more important to us than ever
Sandra Schembri
Nordoff Robbins
Nordoff Robbins has been able to evolve its music therapy practice to work with adults as well as children, to extend its services to reach more people around the country, and to develop an internationally renowned Master of Music Therapy training programme.
Most of its other fundraising events and activities have had to be cancelled or postponed this year. It currently expects to lose around 75% of its fundraising income in 2020, contributing to an anticipated shortfall in revenue of £6m.
The charity's CEO Sandra Schembri said: “The O2 Silver Clef Awards is our biggest annual fundraiser – we got a record-breaking £1m last year. As we get no Government funding the support of the music industry is more important to us than ever. Our music therapy has never been needed more and we want to be able to continue supporting those most vulnerable members of our communities now as well as for years to come.”
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