BY the end of January the Cheese and Grain will have a brand new stage costing over £22,000 funded by local private loans.
Steve Macarthur, the Cheese Grain manager, told the Frome Times, “While the old stage has served us well, it’s no longer suitable for the wide range of uses here at the Grain. Dance and Zumba, children’s choirs, and theatre all need a safe, stable and even surface. Part of the development will mean better and more flexible lighting arrangements and better acoustics.”
The new stage has been funded by people in Frome lending to the Cheese and Grain – a kind of local “bond scheme”. Steve explained that with ISAs, deposit accounts and saving bonds offering such low returns, making a socially useful, ethical, safe investment in a local social enterprise is very attractive. He added that the Cheese and Grain’s business planning is now very robust and its value to Frome’s social and economic life is beyond question.
“This development is very much led by the Cheese and Grain’s Board of Trustees, and its trading wing, which are “demonstrating impressive determination and vision,” he said. “There is still a need for more money to improve disabled access onto the new stage by installing either a lift or ramp.
“The old stage will still be fine for outdoor festival use by bands, so we are giving it to the Bruton 26th and 27th July Farm Fest (see www.farmfestival.co.uk).
“The Cheese Grain would like to thank a local helpful and reliable company, Sam Scaffolding, for its help with removing the old scaffolding frame that held the curtains and lighting rigs.”
Tickets for the Farm Festival will be on sale at the Cheese and Grain box office from February –more details on www.cheeseandgrain.co.uk
Pictured: Sgt Pepper at their New Year’s Eve gig
