Double the music…

Musical Youth Foundation charity receives €20,000 donation from StubHub , an eBay company, to provide 300 hours of musical education to 100 children across Dublin!

Generous donation will facilitate professional guitar lessons and workshops in singing, song-writing and live performance for over 100 children

Musical Youth Foundation, the children’s charity which is working to provide every child on the island of Ireland with access to a musical education, has received a donation of €20,000 from StubHub , the world’s leading platform for fans to safely buy and sell tickets to their favourite musical, theatre or sports events under its ‘fan protect guarantee’.

The donation has been provided through The StubHub Foundation and will allow the Musical Youth Foundation to establish six new Music Education Projects in Community Centres across Dublin, providing over 300 hours of professional guitar lessons for over 100 children. Children participating will increase their self-confidence, concentration and social skills through specialist music workshops in singing, song-writing and live performance.

This is the single largest donation to date given by The StubHub Foundation, which is a corporate advised fund of the U.S. based Silicon Valley Community Foundation. In addition to the vital financial support, StubHub, an eBay company, will also provide pro bono resources to connect the Musical Youth Foundation with its fast-growing marketplace of music fans, employee volunteers and other in-kind resources.

Chris Maher, Musical Youth Foundation Founder and CEO, says: “We are delighted to be working with such a dynamic and generous organisation. StubHub’s support and understanding of our mission to bring music into the lives of Irish children will make a big difference over the coming months. Currently only 1% of children in Ireland have access to music education, while in Europe the average is 10%. The StubHub Foundation’s donation is helping us introduce music and its life-changing benefits such as improved self-confidence, concentration and communication skills to even more children in Ireland.”

Brigitte Ricou-Bellan, General Manager International at StubHub says: “Through our community of music, theatre and sports fans, StubHub connects new audiences to exciting and inspiring live events. We are delighted to partner with the Musical Youth Foundation to help ensure an even wider audience of young people, will have access to high-quality musical experiences.”

Studies show the benefits of music education stretch way beyond the lessons, helping to build a child’s self confidence and improve concentration and performance even outside of music lessons themselves. The group settings for music lessons also provide a great outlet for kids to socialize and communicate with their peers in a friendly, supportive environment.

Community Centre’s, Youth Groups and schools interested in establishing a Music Education Partnership with the Musical Youth Foundation can register their interest here!

The Musical Youth Foundation was established in 2009 by Dublin City Soul Festival and is working to provide every child in Ireland with access to a musical education. They currently operate a series of ‘guitars for kids’ programmes across Dublin providing children with instruments, weekly lessons, practice sessions and specialist music workshops in singing, song-writing and live performance.

StubHub.co.uk, an eBay Inc. company, is the world’s leading platform for fans to safely buy and sell tickets to their favourite musical, theatre or sports events under its ‘fan protect guarantee’. As part of StubHub’s European corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, the company is also partnering with London-based charity Chickenshed Theatre Company.