Led Zeppelin ticket auction

Led Zeppelin tickets Think about the greatest rock and roll band in the world and Led Zeppelin spring to mind with their legendary live shows. ABC Trust is pleased to offer a fantastic VIP package for the upcoming Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert, including a special ABC reception, tickets to the concert and passes for the after-show party.

Founding patron of ABC Trust, Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page has generously donated tickets to ABC for the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert at The O2 Arena, London on 10th December 2007.

It is practically impossible to get pairs of tickets for this concert – not to mention passes to the official after-show party. In addition, winners will be able to attend a special VIP reception with some of ABC's Patrons.

ABC is offering 3 pairs of tickets for auction, in association with Seatwave.com. The auction ends on Friday 30th November at 19:00 GMT, so get bidding!

Additionally, ABC is holding a special raffle, open exclusively to ABC supporters. The top prize is a pair of tickets for the VIP package detailed above. We also have 10 copies of the recently released Mothership album and 10 copies of the reissue of the soundtrack from the film Led Zeppelin – The Song Remains the Same to give to twenty runners-up.

To be eligible for the ABC supporters raffle, you need to have been signed up for our e-Newsletter, and you should have received further details, plus your special code, from us. If you have supported ABC in the past and believe you should be eligible, please contact us.

The supporters raffle is open until Friday 30th November at midday GMT, but there are only a limited number of entries available. You may buy as many entries at £5 each as you wish, to increase your chances. Please note that the competition is open worldwide, and NOT just to UK residents.

For more information about the concert and Terms and Conditions of the auction, please see Seatwave.com.

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The successful bid of £10,000 came from Daryl Bowden who then asked Romero to do a portrait of his wife, Sarah. The resulting picture in Romero's world famous style has now been completed and hangs in pride of place at the Bowden's home.

All of us at ABC extend our enormous thanks to both Romero and Daryl.

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project update: Crescer e Viver – 'Grow and Live' | Rio de Janeiro

Earlier this year, Chief Executive Andrew Webb visited Crescer e Viver, an ABC-funded social circus project in downtown Rio de Janeiro. Here, he writes a little about his experience.

Kneeling down, face-to-face with him, I didn't know quite what to say. I had just said hello to a young boy, 9 years old. I’d asked him what he thought of Crescer e Viver. He shrugged his shoulders a little, smiled, and said that he liked it – "I can play with my friends and I learn a lot every day."

The boy seemed happy and was taking part along with the other children. But, he was being watched over with special care and attention. Only a few days previously, his older brother had been killed, at his home, as part of a gang dispute which had turned tragically violent.

Crescer e Viver has quickly become one of the most respected social circus programmes in Brazil. Their aims are to improve the lives of children and young people at risk, and have a positive influence on their communities. This is achieved through circus-arts, together with other artistic and cultural activities.

But this description belies the immense power and influence of their work.

One of the most dramatic indicators of their success, even beyond the many stories of how the project has changed individual lives, is their effect in São Gonçalo.

They established a base in the local state school, Pastor Waldemar, which draws pupils from an area experiencing acute poverty and high rates of violence and unemployment.

There were 200 regular pupils at the school when the project began. After 3 years, it had filled to capacity: 1200 pupils enrolled and a waiting list of families keen that their children benefit, not only from the basic education, but also from the expanded programme of extra-curricular activities and social support available through Crescer e Viver.

In recognition of this achievement, the energetic team, led by Project Coordinator Junior Perim, received an invitation from the city authorities to expand their work to the central downtown area of Rio. Their circus big top is now un-missable just outside Praça Onze metro station.

Activities are free for all children and are carried out 6 days a week. There are a number on offer, ranging from circus skills to capoeira, basketball to graffiti.

But the project does not only provide educational and development opportunities; it also gives access to much-needed health care and engages children in talking about citizenship, the environment, drugs, violence and sexual health.

Children are deliberately put into mixed groups, boys and girls, different ethnic and social strata. They are shown that it is possible to overcome differences and prejudices and break 'invisible boundaries'. This leads to better relations between individuals and also communities.

The arts activities allow the team to engage children in dialogue about their lives and how they can overcome sometimes enormous difficulties to make the most of the opportunities presented to them.

As I left the project later that day, it seemed to me there could hardly be a better place for the young boy I had met earlier on. He would certainly be getting support from his family and community – but it was clear that at Crescer e Viver he could indeed continue to play with his friends – whilst also learning much more than he could possibly realise.

to Crescer e Viver project page

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Last year, the school celebrated the graduation of the first year group to have been at the project since nursery. Almost all the students have gone on to employment or further education.

Solar de Meninos de Luz – 'Children of Light' – was established 24 years ago after a tragic landslide. Two favelas in Rio, Pavão-Pavãozinho and Cantagalo, were affected, leaving 12 people dead and many more homeless.
Despite neighbouring affluent Ipanema, the favelas are dominated by drug trafficking, violence, poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, alcohol and drug addiction and prostitution.

The project began as a nursery helping 30 very young children, but found that, as they grew to 3 or 4 years old and left its care, they would be found on the streets, with nowhere else to go.

Solar realised they had to care for and educate the children throughout their childhoods. This would provide children with the opportunity to choose a job or go on to further education.

As Brazilian state schools provide just 4 hours of classes per day, children and their families are often otherwise left to their own devices. This leads to the high demand for 'supplementary' education programmes.

By providing full-time education and care, Solar allows parents to work during the day. Morning classes focus on offering strong basic education and the afternoons provide cultural, sporting and arts-based activities.

Most significantly, Solar is breaking new ground with a fully-developed model for Brazilian education. Children develop a real sense of expectation and hope for the future. When asked what they want to be when they grow up, they say anything from actress to teacher, doctor to sailor.

The establishment of Solar, and the results they are now producing, have been hard-won. Long term commitments by project leaders have bound together volunteers, local businesses and the neighbouring Paulo Coelho Institute with international support.

From 30 children, they now run a school of 400 students, with an overall reach of 2400 children and families. Children take classes in art, music, sport, theatre, dance, capoeria, crafts, cooking, chess and foreign languages – with most taught by skilled volunteers.

Solar's success means they are now able to expand their work even further, in particular developing the provision for the arts.

A partnership with Monobloco, one of the most popular percussion groups in Brazil, gives children expert teaching in percussion classes.

This year, they initiated a youth orchestra together with the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, teaching children classical music and how to play their instruments.

Solar are clearly successful – but even they acknowledge that it is only after 16 years that they are beginning to see the real power of what they are achieving.

One long-held dream, now near completion, is the construction of a 400-seat theatre. This will bring all types of art to the children, their families and the community. I, for one, want to be there on their inaugural evening.

Andrew Webb, ABC CEO

to Solar Meninos de Luz project page

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Lily's Fund for Children

Lily's Fund for Children in Brazil has been set up to honour the memory and spirit of a young woman who sadly died in December last year, aged just 20 years old. Lily Hastings-Bass was hit by a car on the streets of Dublin, her university city, where she was in her first year of studies.

Prior to starting at Dublin University, Lily had traveled around Latin America, over a period of nearly a year. During this time it was clear to her family and friends that she was hugely enjoying the hospitality and different cultures of the people she met and planned to return to Brazil after her studies.

Lily's parents, John and Sophie Hastings-Bass, and her sister, Alice, came across ABC Trust when they were looking for a suitable organisation with which to launch a memorial fund – and straight-away felt that ABC Trust would have been a place that their daughter would have strongly connected with through her interest in film and music.

There have already been many generous gifts – with nearly £20 000 already donated in memory of Lily – and other activities are being planned. John and Sophie will be visiting Brazil at the beginning of April and will take the opportunity to visit a few ABC supported projects. On their return we will make decisions about how to best allocate the money raised.

If you would like to contribute to Lily's Fund please visit the Justgiving webpage specially set-up to receive donations in her name:

www.justgiving.com/lilyhb

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project update: Viva a Vida | Salvador

Viva a Vida is a drug rehabilitation programme for street children in the city of Salvador, in northeast Brazil.

Currently, Viva a Vida is the only residential treatment programme in the entire region specifically catering to street children and low-income adolescents. Supporting up to 15 boys at a time, there is a need to now expand the programme to include younger boys, and in response, Viva a Vida, have recently accepted a 10 and 11 year old on to the treatment programme.

Examples of success at Viva a Vida were celebrated in December with the graduation of 3 boys who have successfully completed the residential programme and are working hard to build successful careers.

These include a 13 year old boy who has successfully been reunited with family members he had lost contact with, and has already returned to school and passed the year.

Another older boy is currently working at a barber's shop, but will be pursuing his dream of becoming a chef. He was unable to be accepted into chef school because of his age, however, on his graduation day, a visit from a famous health food chef, who was moved by his passion for cooking, has offered to help him realise this goal.

The third recent successful boy who completed the Viva a Vida programme, with much support from his sister and has now returned to his home town and school. He is taking a computer course and has part time work.

These three boys will now form part of the Viva a Vida after care programme where they will continue with receive psychosocial support for the next 3 years.

We all wish them the best success for the future.

to Viva a Vida project page

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