Ed Sheeran: Singer supports scheme to help grassroots music venues

Ed Sheeran has supported a plan to help grassroots music venues, places like clubs and pubs which have live music.

The Own Our Venues campaign was launched by charity Music Venue Trust (MVT), after the pandemic lockdowns and the rising cost of living, the industry has struggled, so the aim of the scheme is to support small independent venues.

Sheeran started his career busking - playing in the street - and performing at small local venues before he became a global superstar.

He said: "small, independent venues are so important to the music community".

The first step in the charity's plan is to take control of the freehold - the ownership of the property - of music venue buildings and put them under a protected status.

Then they will be offered back to the music venue operators with a reduced rent and provide money for any building repairs and insurance.

The aim of the scheme is to provide the music venues with long-term security and more affordable rents.

Ed Sheeran said: "Own Our Venues is an initiative I'm really passionate about getting behind.

"Small, independent venues are so, so important to the music community, and I've played some of my favourite gigs of my career in these rooms."

Charity MVT launched this campaign in June this year and since then hundreds of individuals and companies have agreed their support.

Mark Davyd, founder of MVT, said: "We are blown away by the support already for Own Our Venues.

"This is campaign that is really resonating with music fans who understand exactly how important it is to keep access to live music in our communities, our towns and cities right across the UK.

"With the Own Our Venues project gathering steam, we are incredibly pleased to get Ed's support for this initiative - he knows this sector incredibly well and understands how important it is."

The scheme hope to raise £3.5 million by the end of 2022, to buy nine venues across the UK to help their future.