Help The Globe, Lowestoft's grassroots music venue

Hello everyone,

This might be quite long but please bear with me... (there is also a VIDEO BELOW)...

The Globe reopened a couple of months back with a focus on grassroots music and bringing in musicians from outside the area that, until now, did not get booked to play in Lowestoft.

A need for a local music venue of this sort was desired by those I spoke to and local musicians were especially keen to have to have somewhere to call home. There was definitely an appetite for such a venue.

How did I become the person to start up this venture? That is a great question as I have no experience working in bars or venues, am not a musician and had never run my own business. I am, however, a qualified Graphic Designer

Back in February 2022 I was approached by someone who I had known, briefly, many years ago. He had a history of working in the charity sector and seemed like a decent person. He was putting on some events as part of a new social enterprise with a focus on young people, employment and the arts (specifically music). He needed some posters designing and i obliged. More events happened and I was treated as though I was part of a team with this business partner and a friend of his. I was asked to source musicians for events, design posters, update social media, do interviews with local press and communicate with venues, which I happily did in my free time, believing I was involved in something that was both cool and had a heart; something helpful.

After a few months, putting on events for the social enterprise and a few charity concerts, as well as helping to organise an ill-fated music festival, I was told that the events weren't making enough money to put back into the projects, and that "we" really needed a venue. Up until this point I had no financial stake in this endeavour - i was just helping out someone I thought was becoming a friend. But I had declared my dissatisfaction with my then employer and the business partner had told me that £5000 of funding was confirmed and £10,000 was all but guaranteed. He also identified a PA system and some other bits we needed to buy, so I transfered him (or rather his social enterprise) £1600. I also helped him out with payment of a DJ he'd booked and some room hire for events. He also asked for £700 for his carpenter friend to build the stage.

We spent about a month getting The Globe ready to open, arranged gigs, had meetings with musicians, got onto the front page of the local newspaper. The first night was a resounding success.

Then my partner went to Y Not? Festival and whilst he was away I was tagged in a social media post warning musicians to not work with us because my partner was a con-man. I asked the post to be removed. 

Things started coming to light:

• He hadn't been paying many of the acts he had booked including one reasonably large act £1300 short and not honouring any of the contract which involved booking a hotel and providing a rider.

• I checked with the charity we had put the fundraisers on for had not been sent any money at all. He had doctored an email and sent it to me as evidence

• He hadn't paid the carpenter so I had to pay again.

• He hadn't secured us funding, but he had falsified another email which he had sent to his friend who was also involved at the start.

• He had not purchased the PA and other elements I had sent him money to buy.

• Because he is a convincing con-man who has run businesses and social enterprises, I trusted his opinion and he convinced me to take on expensive things such as a till which costs £70 per month, a coffee machine which costs £100 per month and an expensive accountant.

• The company (my company, not his) was meant to be set up as a social enterprise which he showed me how to do - how he had done it was not correct so I was set up as a Limited Company (as opposed to a Limited by Guarantee Social Enterprise)

When it came to the non-payment of bands, I simply couldn't work with him. Musicians talk and he'd been blacklisted from venues. So, I was left to figure out everything from scratch - how to run a business, work in and manage a pub, etc. all with just my money, not £15,000 funding with potentially more based on projects, no business partner showing me the ropes and sharing the work burden, as well as chasing the former business partner for my money and the money owed to others. I have managed to get a big chunk of my money back but I am still short £700.

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So, a couple of months in, things seem to be improving, word is spreading and the music on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays are going well. We have a model making group who meet here monthly and interest from people wanting to run projects. But it is not breaking even, and there is a danger that The Globe may not see 2023.

I do not take a wage for working at The Globe, and I am fine with that. The reason I am asking for donations is to keep the Globe operating as a music venue and a community hub:

There are substantial costs, including a £3500 PRS licence needed to have live music three times per week.

The events need promoting better, and promotion costs money.

It would be great if I could take on an employee as I currently work a second job and have a potential 3rd job in the pipeline to pay my bills at home.

We could, if the support is sufficient, even book more established artists.

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I am appreciative of any support that is offered. My current vision for the Globe is a music orientated community asset - something that benefits the local area and music scene. Please, if you can, help me make that possible. Given the time to fully establish itself, I truly believe the Globe can become self sustaining.

Thank you,