By Brendan Rees
A Berwick youth choir group which has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic is seeking the community’s help to ensure it keeps children singing and smiling.
The Melbourne Youth Chorale (MYC), formally known as the Berwick Youth Choir, has had 80 per cent of its funding cut due to Covid-19.
For the past 35 years, the choir has been open to all children with no fees to learn to read music, sing and participate within the local community.
Since becoming a free service, enrolment had doubled with the choir teaching 80 children a week from the south east.
A GoFundMe account has now been launched by the group seeking donations to ensure its doors stay open, which has so far raised $5416 of a $10,000 target.
“At MYC, we believe that every child deserves the gift of music. Every decision we make focusses to make that belief a reality,” the GoFundMe page said.
The $5,000 donated at this stage will provide security for the teachers so they can be paid until the end of the year.
The group says it is determined to keep connecting with their kids by conducting online classes via Zoom for their weekly sing-alongs, rehearsals and musicianship classes.
“Even the challenges of the COVID-19 and social isolation have not stopped us!
“Parents tell us that their kids love their weekly catch up with friends and that choir is the highlight of their week,” MYS says.
“With your support to donate and share this campaign with your friends, we can continue to pay our music teachers (who have lost most of their work otherwise) and continue to grow.”
MYC is a registered charity with DGR-1 and TCC status and will issue tax-deductible receipts for people to claim at their end of year returns.
To donate visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/MYCgift
