Blackpool Grand is asking you to #PlayYourPart this September for International Day of Charity and Remember a Charity Week and there’s now more ways than ever to get involved.

During a recent survey of audience members who had attended The Grand Theatre, over 68% were surprised to hear that the venue was a charitable, not-for-profit organisation. So, as part of the International Day of Charity (5 September), The Grand is launching a local and regional campaign, ‘#PlayYourPart’, to raise awareness of the great work the Grand does in and for Blackpool and the region.

The Grand is more than just a beautiful, Grade II Star listed building.  It’s an active charity with social, educational and artistic aims.  Employing 47 permanent staff members and with the help of 85 dedicated volunteers, the theatre attracts thousands of visitors to the town to enjoy the work on its stages.  In addition, it runs a full programme of workshops for children and young people, in and out of school, focused on improving literacy, numeracy, social skills and confidence.

Last year, 10,000 school children benefitted from discounted tickets to see performances at the theatre.  A further 3,000 young people performed on the stage as part of Au Revoir Review and Schools Alive.  And 30 local schools are part of our literacy project in partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

The Grand aims to give every local child access to its work.  To do this the theatre must raise funds to help grow its participation programme of events that allow children to grow and develop. These programmes are not for the privileged few but for all.  We aim to cover costs and, where possible, the theatre offers as many free places as it can.

Declared by the United Nations (UN) in 2012, the prime purpose of the International Day of Charity is to raise awareness and provide a platform for charity-related activities all over the world for individuals, charitable, philanthropic and volunteer organisations on a local, national, regional and international level.  On this Day, the UN invites all international and regional organisations, to commemorate the Day in an appropriate manner, by encouraging charity, including through education and public awareness-raising activities.

Part of The Grand’s campaign is to encourage, not only one -off and regular donations, but every September, to join hundreds of other charities to hold the annual Remember A Charity Week (12 to 18 September).  This awareness week aims to raise the profile of Legacy Giving and encourage the public to consider leaving a gift in their Will.

The Grand’s ‘#PlayYourPart’ campaign encourages people to think about supporting the theatre by making a donation or by leaving a legacy to the theatre.  Any gifts we receive will help introduce, encourage and develop children in the arts and allow them to express, explore and develop their natural talents.

CAF the Charity Aid Foundation make leaving a legacy simple, they offer advice and direction.

There are lots of ways to make a difference:

If you’d like to make a one-off donation to the Grand Theatre you can go to the website blackpoolgrand.co.uk/donations or if you’d like to set up a regular donation, look at the Charity Aid Foundation (CAF)’s Long-Term Giving. They offer tailored philanthropy services, knowledge and expertise, to help you fulfil your charitable ambitions. They work with over 2,000 high net worth individuals in a variety of ways, from providing valuable administration of their charitable giving through to expert advice on a long term giving strategy.

It’s worth asking your energy suppliers or credit card companies if you can donate or if they donate on your behalf, like charitably donating your Cashback offer. Organisations like Money Supermarket can help you compare Charitable Credit Cards and what works best for you visit moneysupermarket.com/credit-cards/charity/.

We all use Search Engines, every day, now you can donate to The Grand without even realising. Everyclick.com is a new UK search engine which donates 50% of its gross revenue to charity. This Search Engine enables web users to raise funds for their selected charity at no cost to themselves or the charity, simply by searching online and clicking on one of the results. Its founders hope to pass on to charity some of the £3.9 billion of global web search revenues that are predicted to be generated this year. Just select The Grand as your chosen charity.

Other great easy to use ways of supporting The Grand include easyfundraising  a price comparison websites with a heart. You can shop for products from thousands of leading online retailers; use their price comparison tool to ensure you get the best price and even save money by using the exclusive offers and deals available. A percentage of everyday and annual purchases you make (like Travelodge, Thomas Cook, M&S, John Lewis, Aviva, AA, RAC, Sainsbury’s ASDA, Tesco and Ocado) will be donated to charity. easyfundraising have over 3,000 shops and sites that give them a commission for your purchase. They then turn that into a donation and give it to the Grand Theatre. Easy!

So, please help us and ‘#PlayYourPart’ to help us make Blackpool an even better place to live, work and learn.