The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is delighted to join Tempo Time Credits, an innovative social currency scheme that recognises the time people give to their community.
Tempo is a national organisation that rewards volunteers for their service with Time Credits which can be redeemed for a wide range of experiences including concert tickets for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal & Derngate, Northampton; Aylesbury Waterside Theatre and the Cambridge Corn Exchange.
In Northampton, Tempo is working with the charity Shaw Trust to help improve employment outcomes for people with health conditions or disabilities and those who are long term unemployed.
In Cambridgeshire, Tempo supports projects funded by Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridge City Council and CHS Group.
The launch of this partnership reflects the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s commitment to the regional communities across England. Previous participants in the Tempo Time Credit scheme have reported fantastic improvements in their well-being with 63% feeling less lonely or isolated, 66% feeling more confident, 69% feeling more positive about their future and 79% reporting an improvement in their quality of life.
It has been years since we went to a live classical concert but we had a friend visiting who is a fan so the three of us spent some Time Credits at the Corn Exchange this Summer. The staff in the box office were great - I thought we might have restricted view tickets at the back but we were given ones on the front row - all for free. It was a really interesting evening, including a composition developed locally with young people living with eating disorders. Having Time Credits to spend encourages us to leave the sofa and get out and try something new.”
Rebecca, gardening volunteer.
James Williams, Managing Director at the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra said: “The RPO is immensely proud of our long standing relationship with Northampton, performing concerts at Royal & Derngate for over ten years and running a large number of community and education programmes. The Tempo Time Credits scheme is a fantastic initiative, incentivising volunteers to lend their support to Northampton’s community and the RPO is delighted to play our part in recognising and reward these unsung heroes.”
Ian Merrill, CEO Tempo, said “We are thrilled to welcome The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to our innovative Spend Partner Network. They are joining organisations such as the Tower of London, Cardiff Millennium Stadium and Blackpool Tower in providing exciting opportunities to spend Time Credits. Access to world-class musical performances, within a person’s local community, is sure to benefit volunteers’ physical and mental health significantly.”
Tempo, the social enterprise behind Time Credits, was founded in South Wales and has since spread across the UK – they are now growing their work in the South East of England. Time Credits encourage individuals to volunteer for the community, in return for a Time Credit note for each hour they give. The Time Credit can be ‘spent’ on community, cultural and leisure activities both in their area and across the national network of partners. To date, across Time Credits programmes in England and Wales, over 50,000 people participated in earning, and over 700,000 Time Credits have been earned.
The concerts at Royal & Derngate, Northampton that are included in the Tempo Time Credit scheme are:
Friday 2nd November 2018, 7:30 pm – Symphonic Rock
Thursday 29th November 2018, 7:30 pm - Mariam Batsashvili performs Liszt
The concerts at Cambridge Corn Exchange that are included in the Tempo Time Credit scheme are:
Friday 30th November 2018, 7:30 pm - Mariam Batsashvili performs Liszt
Friday 22nd February 2019, 7:30 pm - Boris Giltburg performs Tchaikovsky
Wednesday 27th March 2019, 7:30 pm - Zukerman presents Beethoven
The concerts at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre that are included in the Tempo Time Credit scheme are:
Sunday 10th March 2019, 3:00 pm - Jennifer Pike performs Mozart
For more information about these concerts please visit www.rpo.co.uk
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For more information about the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and for interviews, please contact Audience Development Manager for Regional Residencies Elle Docx at
About the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO):
The RPO has a reputation worldwide for music-making of the highest quality. In 1946, Sir Thomas Beecham set out to create a world-class ensemble from the finest musicians in the country. Beecham envisioned an orchestra that would bring the greatest music to audiences across the world and, to this day, Beecham’s legacy lives on. Over the years, the RPO has become a byword for exceptional quality and versatility, undertaking a diverse range of activities from traditional concerts in concert halls to classical spectaculars and ‘cross-over’ concerts in arenas. The Orchestra is London-based and performs regularly at the Royal Albert Hall, Cadogan Hall and Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, as well as undertaking a busy schedule of UK concerts, international tours, recordings for CD, film and television, and community and education work.
About Tempo Time Credits:
Tempo and the Time Credits currency was founded in 2008, and has Time Credits programmes active in seven regions across England and Wales. Time Credits programmes work with a range of partners including local authorities, NHS and CCGs, in housing and schools. To date, more than 50,000 people have earned over 700,000 Time Credits! For more information on Tempo, see the website www.wearetempo.org