Max SteventonOwn Our Venues, a funding initiative launched by Music Venue Properties (MVP), has received a personal donation of £100,000 from Marshall Amplification co-founder Terry Marshall and his wife Lesley.
Own Our Venues aim is to save grassroots venues by purchasing and conserving them. Launched in 2023, so far it has raised £2.88m for five grassroots venues. “The overarching aim is to provide long-term stability to venues,” said Music Venue Trust.
Terry Marshall’s donation contributes to MVP’s £3m fundraising target for Own Our Venues campaign which aims to save seven grassroots venues. These are: The Joiners (Southampton), Bedford Esquires, The Croft (Bristol), The Sugarmill (Stoke), Peggy’s Skylight (Nottingham), The Pipeline (Brighton), and The Lubber Fiend (Newcastle).
MVP said that Marshall, one of the pioneers behind the first Marshall amplifier, “adds a powerful voice” to the organisation. He joins other notable contributors, including Ticketmaster, who donated £60,000 to the Music Venue Trust.
Marshall said, “Small venues have played a vital role over the years in my long career as a professional sax player, and, of course, created the path to success for countless other musicians too. But so many have closed their doors since I first started out at the age of 14. We hope that future generations of musicians and music lovers will be able to have these amazing experiences too. That’s why we’re supporting Own Our Venues with a substantial contribution.”
MVP COO Matt Otridge said, “Grassroots venues are where careers begin and ensure communities have access to local, live music. That’s why Terry and Lesley’s incredible £100,000 donation is more than generous, it’s leadership. It shows the deeply personal impact these spaces have on everyone and reminds the music industry that we all have a role to play. Their contribution builds on the belief already shown by over 1500 community investors, and we’re proud to welcome them into the Music Venue Properties family.”