JLGB Redbridge Band Wins Major Award And Gets To Perform At Buckingham Palace
The Jewish Lads’ & Girls’ Brigade (JLGB) is delighted that our local group, JLGB Redbridge Band, have won a Youth United Social Action Award and were given the added honour of playing at the awards ceremony at Buckingham Palace. The ceremony, organised by Youth United, was attended by HRH The Prince of Wales and JLGB were recognised alongside 10 other uniformed youth groups from the Youth United Network and the Youth United Social Action Fund (UYSAF) grantee organisations, for outstanding contribution to social action.
JLGB is immensely proud to be part of the Youth United Network, which works to open up new opportunities for young people in disadvantaged communities and from hard-to-reach groups. Social action is such a fundamental part of JLGB weekly groups that this award to JLGB Redbridge Band, one of our flagship local groups, is a recognition of the collective impact that is taking place across the country
Lindsay Levkoff Lynn, Chief Executive of Youth United said:
“Youth United is incredibly proud to be able to celebrate youth social action, including the excellent work done by the JLGB Redbridge Band. The commitment the Band has shown for the Jewish community by taking part in parades around the country and in the National Jewish Remembrance Parade is nothing short of inspiring.
“The Jewish Lads’ and Girls’ Brigade are the newest members of Youth United and have been able to expand their membership through the Uniformed Youth Social Action Fund, which has created sustainable opportunities for over 27,000 young people.”
JLGB Redbridge Band, which is based at King Solomon High School in Redbridge, has been teaching Jewish young people to learn woodwind, brass and percussion instruments for generations and has helped to create thousands of young musicians who perform at civic and community events across the country.
The Youth United Social Award recognised this tremendous achievement, but particularly around the work the band does around remembrance and veterans. Each year, the week after Remembrance Sunday the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women (AJEX) organise the National Jewish Remembrance Parade at the Cenotaph and JLGB Redbridge Band is always found on duty. Thousands of spectators lined the streets of Whitehall and Redbridge Band performed in honour of the fallen Jewish soldiers and veterans who fought for Queen and country.
To add to this fantastic achievement, like our other bands across the UK, Redbridge Band also performs at local Remembrance Sunday parades and services and at other remembrance events throughout the year. As numbers of veterans start to dwindle in the Jewish community the JLGB and the band play an ever-increasing part in these events, providing not only music but wheelchair pushers and Standard Bearers for those local AJEX branches no longer able to carry them.
In preparation for these events the band meets each week for rehearsals, which also includes one-to-one tuition, as well as the need to practise at home. In the lead up to the Remembrance Parades, the band increases their rehearsals including all day Sunday practises with the other bands in JLGB from across the UK in order to fine tune the music and practise their marching and manoeuvres.
Linda Diamond, volunteer leader of JLGB Redbridge Band for 30 years said:
“I am extremely proud of each and every member of JLGB’s Redbridge Band whose commitment, passion and dedication to social action has led to the band to becoming winners at the Youth United Social Action Awards. It was the greatest honour the band has ever had for us to play at Buckingham Palace in front of HRH The Prince of Wales and will no doubt live on in our memories for many years to come. We accepted the award on behalf of all of the JLGB’s local groups across the UK who are tirelessly contributing to their local communities on a weekly basis.”
Lewis Shine, snare drummer from Loughton said:
“It was a true honour to play in front of HRH Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace. I never could have dreamed that I would play at such a prestigious venue when I started playing the drum for fun just 7 years ago. JLGB means a lot to me as I don't go to a Jewish school, so it enables me to have a Jewish social life, and also allows me to have downtime from my busy weekly schedule.”
Adam Gunstock, trumpeter from Wanstead High School said:
“The architecture of Buckingham Palace was overwhelming and the atmosphere and experience is one that I will remember for the rest of my life. Redbridge band has given me opportunities that I wouldn’t have had anywhere else; I have played for numerous famous people in impressive places that I would have never dreamed of playing in before I joined, but this event tops them all! I would like to thank the volunteer leaders at Redbridge and the JLGB for putting me in these places of such significance.”
For all Press Enquiries, please contact Ellie Pendred on ellie.pendred@jlgb.org
