Judges' Special Award

From the archive, first published Wednesday 13th Jul 2005.

THE Drum Runners have found a beat that connects with the Basingstoke and Deane community.

To celebrate this, the group was presented with the Judges' Special Award - an award which represents the spirit of the whole A Place to be Proud of Awards ceremony.

The Drum Runners is a percussion group that formed in the late 1990s and has evolved into a collection of about 40 individuals.

The group, which uses junk to make music by banging metal bins and dustbin lids, has taken its inspiration from coal mining - they wear boiler suits, hard hats and lamps when performing.

The Drum Runners' key aim is to create new opportunities for people, irrespective of age and ability.

The group emphasises developing participants' skills and confidence, and has a strong open-access policy to music making.

Paul Midgley, a community musician, is the co-ordinator for the group's community projects in Basingstoke, leading workshops and staging performances.

He regularly visits schools to encourage pupils to get involved and can be seen with the Drum Runners at many events in the borough.

After accepting the award, Mr Midgley said: "It was a real surprise. It means we have got something on the map and we have made a bit of a difference both locally and on a bigger scale."

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