Mindless vandals have trashed the home of Camborne Brass, one of Cornwall's most successful amateur bands, causing thousands of pounds of damage.
The band's base at Tuckingmill Pavilion was targeted on Saturday afternoon, August 29. Musical instruments were thrown from the stage, chairs hurled across the hall, and a fire extinguisher was let off.
Alan Pope BEM, musical director, said: "When I saw what they had done it was just unbelievable. You could say it was completely trashed but the sheer state of it is something that's hard to describe. It's devastating to see."
Police arrived quickly, and it is understood a number of people were arrested.
Alan said the band had played in the hall on Friday and most of the instruments were on the stage. "They got in and started throwing everything off the stage," he added. "It's just mindless. The trophies had been pulled apart, the banners saying we were the national champions pulled off the wall, photos were smashed, they'd even taken the clock off the wall and thrown that across the room."
Photos show the scale of the destruction. Some expensive instruments were wrecked, including drums. The full scale of the damage is yet to be assessed properly but runs into thousands of pounds. Just one of the four timpani drums costs £4,500.
A crowdfunder has now been organised to help the band recover. It has a target of £10,000. It is understood the intruders got into the building by smashing one of the windows. Cash raised will help improve security in the future.
Camborne Brass is one of Cornwall's most successful musical groups. It started off as a youth band but now has members of all ages and has won the national championships seven times. Some former members have gone on to achieve national and international success as musicians.
Alan said: "Our band is a proud part of the local community, and our bandroom is at the heart of what we do. It provides a place for people of all ages to come together through music, while our beginners’ group helps introduce young people to brass music and the wider banding community. Our members have been deeply affected by what has happened, particularly our young Beginners Group, which we have been working hard to develop. Our band is committed to providing opportunities for people of all ages to discover brass music, develop their skills and become part of the wider banding community."
Alan added: "The band plays on. We are absolutely determined. We played yesterday [Sunday] in Victoria Gardens and the setback won't beat us. I can't say what motivated these people. I think they wanted to destroy something that gives so much pleasure to a lot of people. It's not just a room that they've trashed. It's like a second home to us and has been such a special part of our lives and that's why it was so upsetting to see. We will not let them get us down."
A charity concert has been arranged for October 4 at 3pm. You can read more about the fundraiser here.
Camborne Brass Band Home Trashed by Vandals