The Harlow Playhouse Charitable Trust

The Harlow Playhouse Charitable Trust was formally constituted in August 2000. It currently has six trustees and is totally independent of both the Playhouse management and Harlow District Council.

The formal objective of the trust is:
To advance the education of the public in relation to all aspects of the arts of Drama, Dance, Singing and Music.

This is done by raising money either for specific projects or workshops or to assist with the ongoing improvement of the facilities at Harlow Playhouse. The need for a charitable organisation became apparent during the early months of the theatre's reopening and can really be traced back to a sponsored bungee jump in August 1999. Harlow Playhouse had secured funding from a disability grant to install automatic doors into the front of the building.

The grant was to cover 75% of the cost, but the remaining £2,500 was to be raised by the Playhouse. The ensuing fundraising campaign highlighted both the public's and business's preference to donate money to a charitable organisation. Despite the difficulties in not having charitable status, the money was raised and the doors were installed. The setting up of the charity became an absolute necessity when local firm UDV agreed a donation of £10,000 for the refurbishment of the Playhouse’s bar, but could only donate direct to a charitable organisation. The charity was established in time to receive the donation, and with other monies raised by The Playhouse Supporters' Club, along with financial assistance from Harlow District Council and the theatre's contracted caterers Planning Solutions, the much needed refurbishment of the Gilbey Bar was able to proceed.

Now renamed Scene 1 (above), the new Playhouse bar is the first of what we hope will be many projects to aid the theatre that the Charitable Trust will instigate. 

The Playhouse 400 Club 

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