Donate your spare instrument at Ronnie’s

The London club is again collecting unwanted instruments for distribution to children with limited access to musical expression

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Once again, London jazz club Ronnie Scott’s is holding a musical instrument “amnesty” to collect unwanted instruments for donation to school-age children around the world. Organised by the Ronnie Scott’s Charitable Foundation, the event is set for 10am-3pm, Saturday 28 January at the Frith Street, London venue.

While taking a beverage, donors will have the opportunity to meet those who’ve played at the club and learn more about the project and how their donation will help children whose access to music education has been compromised due to their social situation and/or geographical location.

The amnesty welcomes all kinds of instruments, from plastic recorders to violins and mixing desks. In the past, instruments with distinguished associations have been donated, including the white violin used in the 2015 Brits performance by Sam Smith. The violin went from London to the Harrogate Brigantes Rotary Club along with other donations which were then shipped to the MusicArt Society, a charity in Nepal which teaches disadvantaged children to play.

Other notable donations have included a guitar from Nitin Sawhney, a violin from Neil Cowley and two specially commissioned trumpets made courtesy of American trumpeter Christian Scott. In 2022 over 500 donations were made.

This year the Scott’s foundation will be working with Music For All and Julian Lloyd Webber’s charity Sistema England to focus on finding the best new homes for those instruments that remain in the UK.

Those interested in donating can notify ada@ronniescotts.co.uk and then take their donation to Frith Street on 28 January.