We have been asked to pass on this information by our friends at Ticket Bank/Tickets for Good Several of our clients have benefitted from free tickets to events through this organisation and had fantastic experiences. They are currently adapting to the Coronavirus situation as this press release explains.  We will let our clients know about virtual events via Facebook SRSB, Facebook RSS and Twitter.   The link to a video in the story below features one of our Rotherham clients at Tramlines last year:

Sheffield based company launches ‘Virtual Ticket Bank’ to tackle social exclusion during the COVID-19 outbreak

The Ticket Bank provides an on-line platform for the distribution of spare and unsold event tickets. Before the imposed social distancing, they helped people in need across society to attend events in the UK with no cost to the individual. Their network now includes over 500 registered organisations who have a total of over 100,000 service users. 

Following the postponement of all events involving physical gatherings of people as a result of COVID-19, they have partnered with Tickets for Good to develop a Virtual Ticket Bank. This new concept aims to continue supporting charities and their service users who now have an even greater risk of isolation. 

The Virtual Ticket bank also needs immediate donations from anyone providing a digital paid-for service such as ticketed events, online courses, meditation apps or anything else that can help people to connect to each other, improve their skills, participate in the arts and generally maintain their mental wellbeing. Please visit https://theticketbank.org/ or email steve@ticketsforgood.co.uk directly to offer some support.

Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, Ticket Bank had rapidly grown as a platform, enabling thousands of people to attend events that would normally be out of reach due to financial or social reasons. This included supporting people to attend the Tramlines Festival in 2019 (documented in this video). 

A recent study, believed to be the first of its kind, commissioned by Ticket Bank and conducted by LifePsychol Ltd showed a connection between event attendance and mental wellbeing. This research connects with a global shift in measuring the success of a nation by looking at well being instead of GDP, as shown in New Zealand and Iceland. 

With the knowledge that their work was of vital importance, Ticket Bank dedicated to continue their work during the COVD-19 outbreak and are in the process of redesigning their model of delivery. The first step was to adapt the existing Ticket Bank platform to enable access to virtual content (uplifting entertainment, online social activities and wellness support). Regular email newsletters will now be sent out to all charity partner user accounts (charities, social enterprises and community groups), currently numbering 550+ across the UK, with filtered links to free content. The platform will also feature a live content calendar with notifications able to be sent to beneficiaries via email. 

The Virtual Ticket Bank will help to improve social inclusion by enabling communities to come together, attend virtual events and participate in online activities. The aim is to help reduce loneliness, build resilience and improve positive mental well-being.

Ticket Bank Founder and CEO Steve Rimmer said,

'Despite the events industry facing some really tough times right now, we wanted to use our network and platform to help respond to the needs of our charity partners and their service users. I’m absolutely delighted to be launching our Virtual Ticket Bank service and hope that we can help create meaningful connections and reduce loneliness in the process.'