Your donations will provide urgent relief for MU members in immediate and genuine financial hardship. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Thank you to our 136 supporters have donated so far and taken us past our fundraising target in less than a week. We have now extended our eligibility criteria for the fund.
Your donations will provide urgent relief for MU members in immediate and genuine financial hardship.
The MU Coronavirus Hardship Fund
Too many musicians are worried about how they will pay the bills as work is cancelled due to the coronavirus crisis, and Government support takes weeks and months to come through.
That’s why the MU pulled £1million out of its reserves and set up a dedicated hardship fund for members in immediate and genuine financial hardship.
Within two hours of launching the fund, we received more than two hundred applications from musicians worried about how they will pay the bills. We received more than a thousand applications on the first day.
Why people donate
People have lots of reasons for donating to the fund; from music lovers wanting to give something back, to musicians who know what it’s like and want to help. Here are just some of the reasons people have shared with us:
- “In gratitude for so much that musicians give to us, hoping we can all get through these bleak times” – Peter
- “Music keeps me going; happy to give a small amount to keep musicians going” – Matt
- “I go to a lot of concerts, many of them free or low cost. I want to help all musicians who are in hardship now through no fault of their own. It is, if you like, my thanks for all the pleasure musicians have given me over many years” – Alan
- “As an amateur musician, and lover of live music (jazz, classical, opera etc.) I am glad to be able to provide some help to those whose livelihood depends on making music. I will donate the money I would normally be spending going to gigs” – Tim
- “Brilliant to support musicians in hard times. Despite also losing my work, I know I’m lucky to have a spouse in permanent work in one of the few industries still working. We both wanted to show some support, knowing that while we’re tightening our belts others are facing ruin” – Brigid
Read more on Crowdfunder - where you can also read musicians' stories and do your bit for the future of music.
If you’re facing urgent financial hardship
We’ve listed more sources of financial assistance, as well as guidance on Government benefits on our Financial Support page.
This includes our own hardship fund, as well as the new funds launched by Help Musicians and PRS for Music.