From sold-out West End shows to gigs and festivals, Sheffield’s unique ticket-donation enterprise, Tickets For Good, have already sent thousands of NHS workers to the UK’s best events – for just the price of a coffee.
Now their new campaign The Ticket Fund will bring businesses large and small together to fundraise for event tickets, which will be donated to hardworking NHS teams nationwide as thanks for their incredible work.
The campaign also seeks to direct much-needed cash into the pockets of theatres, nightclubs and event promoters as they struggle to deal with the prolonged effects of COVID.
The pandemic has thrown up a huge number of challenges for the events industry but, in keeping with the creative and innovative Sheffield mentality, Tickets for Good have responded with a campaign that aims to give back to those who have worked so hard during the pandemic.
NHS staff can sign-up at the following link to register for free event tickets https://ticketsforgood.org/nhs/. Whilst this campaign is initially aimed exclusively at NHS staff, Tickets for Good are looking to expand the offer of free event tickets to many more frontline and key workers in the future.
The ‘return to live’ in July 2021 brought a welcome taste of normality for venues, promoters and performers on the brink of collapse after months of closure and half-capacity operating.
However, as the longer-term impacts of the pandemic continue to trouble city centres, a cash injection for live events may be a crucial way to revitalise towns and cities. A 2018 Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee report showed that for every £10 spent on a ticket for a live music event, £17 is spent elsewhere in the local economy, meaning that every ticket taken up positively impacts the whole community.
The Ticket Fund has already secured a range of campaign supporters including WeGotTickets, whose generous customers have been raising money as they checkout to provide NHS workers with coveted tickets for major events.
One attendee of a show supported by Tickets For Good said: “Ordinarily I wouldn’t have been able to afford attending the show. It was amazing…I had a great experience and recommended it to my friends.”
“In the last year we’ve seen that connecting our fantastic NHS with the UK’s world-leading cultural sector creates a hugely beneficial partnership,” said Steve Rimmer, CEO of Tickets For Good. “The Ticket Fund is our way of bringing the expertise and support of many more businesses and organisations on board to give back to the NHS, whilst ensuring our live events industry thrives in the long term.”
Tickets for Good are looking for funders to support the Ticket Fund campaign, businesses and organisations can explore partnership and sponsorship options via theticketfund.org. Meanwhile, individuals keen to contribute will find more updates on Tickets For Good’s website and social media soon.
