"The most satisfying thing in life is to have been able to give a large part of oneself to others"

For an amateur this is the ultimate challenge. 130Kms, 4000 meteres of climbing and against the clock, in July, in The Alps!  Yes you got it, it is Tour de France country and a real bit of it.

Training from November to date is about 40 spinning sessions, 35 body pumps, 85 hours on the turbo trainer, running and about 2,000 on the road, and that is just the training! (very long way!) - AND, there are 2 months of the same to go.

 It has to be for something worth supporting so read on......... 

If you would like to support me, please use the fundraising page or text:

NYOS99

£10/20 etc

to 

70070

 

SO, for those of you who do not know...  

 

I am the 58 year old chairman of one of the United Kingdom's most successful helicopter companies.  Based in Scotland,  The PLM Dollar Group Limited (PDG Helicopters) is the one that flies engineers out to repair power lines, provides a platform for films, documentaries and news gathering, and a host of other essential services across the United Kingdom and Ireland.  I am a pilot, pianist (not at the same time) and very amateur cyclist.  I am also a director of The National Youth Orchestras of Scotland.

 

What am I doing?  On July 7th I am casting age aside and bicycling to raise money for one of our National Institutions. I am abandoning the helicopters in exchange for a  Pinarello, which is what Bradley Wiggins rode in the 2012 Tour de France, to take part in the Etape du Tour. Given that this event involves eight months of training in order to avoid premature death, exhaustion or running the risk of not finishing, it has to be for something very worthwhile, tangible and enduring.

What is it?  The Etape du Tour is one stage of the Tour de France, which is made available for about 10,000 wannabes to take part in, this year on July 7th.  The participants will range in expertise from out and out professionals, to slightly ageing amateurs like myself, who want to test themselves for a cause, and pretend to be a pro on the closed roads of the French Alps.

Now in its 100th year, I am told that it is actually quite a short event at 130 kilometres, but it includes about 4,000 metres of climbing to make up for it.  This year it takes place around Annecy and, similar to a marathon, there will be another 9,999 people doing it with me, including my lead-in man, the real hero, Jake French.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5unY82f_nJg  for those who care! 

Unlike a marathon, when you can take as long as you want, the Etape has a strict time limit placed on it, as the roads are closed for the event and need to re-open at specific times. Training, which has been already been underway since November, is therefore paramount to avoid being collected by the broom wagon.  For those of you who are interested, regular updates on my training progress will therefore be available on Twitter @tiffylaing

Who am I doing it for?  I am undertaking this challenging event to raise the profile of a national treasure and to raise funds to help secure its future.  The National Youth Orchestras of Scotland, NYOS, provides accessible, high quality classical, contemporary classical, jazz and cross-genre musical education opportunities for Scotland's children and young people aged 8-25. 

With its carefully thought through pathway of education NYOS manages eight ensembles as follows: NYOS Junior Orchestra, NYOS Senior Orchestra and NYOS the flagship symphony orchestra along with NYOS Futures and NYOS Camerata.  The jazz ensembles include NYJOS Access, NYJOS and NYJOS Collective.  Through its core residential courses, performance tours, community education workshops and collaborative cross-arts projects, NYOS supports around 1,000 children and young people from communities throughout Scotland, annually.  

Administered by a small executive team from its Headquarters in Glasgow, NYOS' finances are tightly controlled by a talented Chief Executive and overseen by a finance committee and Board of Directors drawn from the professions, business, local government and the arts.

I have had the pleasure of being a Trustee of NYOS for the last 19 years and my wish is to leave the company on a much more secure financial footing, as it has recently seen severe cuts to its funding from National Arts bodies.

Why am I doing it?  It is widely accepted that music is beneficial for a child's education, and incredibly, no politician has ever accorded the arts the importance deserved in our education system. In Scotland NYOS fills a considerable part of this yawning chasm. NYOS is inclusive in the sense that any young musician who meets the high standards required to participate in one of the orchestras will not be refused a place, even if they are challenged by the level of course fees, as NYOS is fortunate to have modest restricted Bursary funds to assist students with these fees.  NYOS provides an educational stepping stone for those who may want to go into the profession, and a unique and broad artistic education for those who may not.  Meeting at least twice a year, and under the strict supervision of highly trained professionals, orchestral members are tutored and are given an introduction to orchestral performance at the highest level, coupled with the opportunity to perform at major public venues.  Uncompromising in its standards, NYOS regularly performs in leading European concert halls and last year, the BBC Proms in London.  It has spawned some of our greatest musicians, Gary Walker, Evelyn Glennie, Colin Currie and Nicola Benedetti being just a few household names.  Full detail is available at www.nyos.co.uk.

As well as income from course fees, NYOS is currently funded  through generous donations from Trusts, legacies, individuals and Local Authorities and to a decreasing extent by our National Arts Organisations.  As with any charity, NYOS has to operate with a balanced budget and with a healthy balance sheet. 

With limited reserves, the dilemma it faces on an annual basis is the ability to plan often years ahead to secure international soloists and conductors, while never being totally certain of the level of funding that it will secure in any given year. 

The aim, therefore, is to establish a Designated Fund of at least £100,000 to bridge the funding gap on an annual basis, when required.  The Designated Fund will be used when there is a shortfall in general funding.  This will allow NYOS to plan ahead prudently and engage the necessary conductors in the knowledge that limited  funding is available if required to cover these costs.  It is essential that the young musicians are able to work with professional musicians of the highest calibre. 

The Designated Fund will be administered by the NYOS Finance Committee, a non-executive committee drawn from industry and the professions.  Assuming a satisfactory level of funds is raised on this appeal, NYOS will be restricted to 8% of the combined income and capital value in any one financial year, primarily to make up a shortfall in general funding or to maintain adequate unrestricted reserve funds.  This ensures a legacy for the future.

What will you get out of it?  All of you who have generously contributed more than £50 will have national recognition, and the knowledge that you have assisted one of our national arts companies.  You will have recognition by name or company, in every programme for any of our orchestras, where the fund has participated.  NYOS performs both in the United Kingdom and abroad, ensuring wide acknowledgement of your generosity.

I need all the support I can get and so does NYOS, so please give whatever you can.