The Music Venue Trust is calling on supporters to write to their MPs in the latest bid to save grassroots music venues that are at risk of financial ruin due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The move comes after it was confirmed that venues that have applied for the government’s £1.57 billion Cultural Recovery Fund will have to wait a week longer than anticipated to find out whether they will receive a grant.

In their latest drive, the MVT will try to persuade a cross party majority of MPs to change the approach of government and ensure that restrictions on grassroots music venues are always accompanied by appropriate economic support.

They are asking supporters to write to their local MP to back the cause by vowing to defend venues in their constituency, as well as using parliamentary debates to bring about successful change.

Alongside full and comprehensive advice, which can be found here, the MVT has also issued the following tips on writing to your MP.

• Copy and pasting text MVT provides to you will not work to influence the votes and behaviour of your MP
• Your MP will act on a tailored, individual message from you about a specific venue you care about.
• An MP will not act on behalf of a centralised, national, replicated campaign with general demands
• An MP will act on behalf of a large number of their own constituents requesting they defend assets in their constituency.

Opening up on their aims for the latest campaign, the MVT said that “if government action requires the closure or limitation of grassroots music venue income, the government must simultaneously announce how it will limit or support grassroots music venue expenditure.”

A Commons majority of 326 MPs will be needed if the action is to proceed to the next step.

Last week, The MVT described the situation for hundreds of grassroots venues as “critical” and warned that the fate of hundreds of venues now hangs in the balance. 

With early April 2021 earmarked as the earliest date that full capacity gigs might be able to return, a number of musicians, crew, venues and industry bosses have also warned of bankruptcies and catastrophic damage to the live music sector unless support is provided to mothball the gig sector until it is safe to put shows on.

Visit here to donate to the Save Our Venues campaign or buy special new gifts and merchandise.