The family of Cockermouth musician, Bridget Hilton, is marking what would have been her 80th birthday by announcing the opening of Bridget’s Magical Music Pot.
Bridget died in 2018 from a brain tumour, after a short illness. In her memory, Bridget’s family set up a legacy fund to support community music making in West Cumbria.
Bridget’s Magical Music Pot has been created with the help of Cumbria Community Foundation.
After five years of fundraising, the fund has now reached £50,000, which has been invested to grow over time. The income generated annually from the endowed fund will be used to fund music projects.
Kate Parry, Bridget’s daughter, who lives in Cockermouth, said: “We’re so excited to have reached our target of £50,000. It means we can now open Bridget’s Magical Music Pot to applications. To arrive at this point on what would have been my mum’s 80th birthday feels just brilliant.”
David Hilton, Bridget’s husband, added: “Bridget loved making music. As a music teacher, she spent her life bringing people together to play and have fun. That’s what she did and that’s what we want Bridget’s Magical Music Pot to support in her memory.”
The new fund will enable us to make a small number of grant awards of up to £500 each year, to community music groups of all shapes and sizes.
David said: “When we say group, we mean anything from two people playing ukuleles together to a full choir or brass band.
“We envisage funding things like sheet music, equipment, tuition costs and room hire. Anything that makes it possible for people to come together and enjoy playing together, because we know how much good that does people.”
On behalf of the family, Alison Hilton, Bridget’s daughter added: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has donated and fundraised to reach the £50,000 mark. People have been so generous and worked so hard to get us to this point.
“Even though we’ve reached our initial target, we’ll keep fundraising because the more we raise the more money we can give out in grants to people in West Cumbria.”
Jenny Benson, director of programmes and partnerships at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “We would like to thank Bridget’s family for choosing the Foundation to manage their charitable giving in her memory.
“The memorial fund will continue to share Bridget’s love of music and encourage others to make music together for a long time to come. This is such a wonderful legacy for a truly remarkable and inspiring woman.”
Full details of Bridget’s Magical Music Pot can be found here: www.cumbriafoundation.org/fund/bridgets-magical-music-pot
To donate to Bridget’s Magical Music Pot, visit: https://cumbriafoundation.enthuse.com/cf/bridgets-magical-music-pot
