Paul Weller, Blossoms, Sam Fender, The 1975 donate items to NHS tour bus raffle
The Big Band Bus Raffle
Last updated 22nd May 2020
Back in early April, touring company Vans For Bands hit the headlines when they donated their entire fleet of tour buses to NHS hospitals around the UK.
Out of use due to the coronavirus pandemic shutting the live music industry down, the buses – essentially hotels on wheels – have been used by exhausted NHS doctors and nurses as vital places of rest during the COVID-19 crisis.
The Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, Hillingdon Hospital in Uxbridge, Whittington Health NHS Trust in north London, Lewisham Hospital in south London and North Tees Hospital in Stockton-on-Tees all gratefully accepted Vans For Bands’ extremely kind offer.
On 25th April, Vans For Bands hosted a 10-hour live-streamed festival called BUS-TIVAL to raise crucial funds to keep the buses parked up at the hospitals.
Now, Vans For Bands have launched a fundraiser called The Big Band Bus Raffle to cover the continued running costs of the tour buses, featuring items kindly donated by artists and festivals.
Items include a black Epiphone Hummingbird Pro electric-acoustic guitar used on tour by Frank Turner and signed and made out to the winner, four tickets to see Supergrass at a festival of your choice in 2021, Placebo’s ‘A Place For Us To Dream’ boxset (black vinyl edition) and a signed limited-edition vinyl and poster bundle from Sam Fender.
Other pieces of memorabilia include Editors frontman Tom Smith’s favourite pair of leather boots worn on stage since 2009, a goody bag from The 1975, a 2018 UK Tour Poster signed by Blossoms, a beautiful A2 lithograph poster signed by Elbow, and concert tickets to see Paul Weller including a merchandise bundle.
There’s also a chance to win tickets to an array of festivals including Slam Dunk Festival 2021 and next year’s 2000Trees Festival and Womad Festival.
Raffle tickets cost just £2 per item and the raffle is live from today (22nd May) at www.vansforbands.co.uk until 6pm on Friday 29th May.
Enter The Big Band Bus Raffle
Ed Thomson, director and co-owner of Vans For Bands, comments: “Despite the fact that the live music industry has been decimated by the effects of social distancing due to COVID-19, we are so pleased to see everyone coming together to offer such exciting raffle prizes and memorabilia.
“A huge thank you to the artists and companies for their generous donations without which this raffle would not be possible.”
Those who can afford it can also donate Vans For Bands’ JustGiving page.