THE first of a series of gigs is set to go ahead at the Forest Community Centre, Bordon, tomorrow (Saturday). The green light for a number of band nights was announced following a donation of £730 from county councillor Adam Carew, under the new Hampshire County Councillors Grant Scheme. The grant scheme has allowed each county councillor to spend £10,000 on schemes and events that benefit their local community. The idea behind the band nights was formed after a meeting with Mr Carew and pupils of Mill Chase, during which, the students told him what they would like to see take place in Bordon. "Headlining the first evening of music will be Arthur; a power pop five-piece band who have already started making waves in the music industry. They will be joined by Farnham rockers, Forever Wednesday; an electro-punk outfit We Have a Getaway and Bordon's very own rock band, Origin. Mr Carew said: "The idea for a bands night in Bordon first came about from my conversations with students at Mill Chase. There is not enough for young people to do in Bordon and this was very high on their list of priorities. "I used to sing in a band when I was a student and have been really keen to get this project off the ground – this new county councillor's fund has made it a reality. I am sure it will be a fantastic success." Forest Community Centre manager Lindsay Kelly said: "We are all very excited by this. Band nights have been very successful in Alton and young people in Whitehill and Bordon have been crying out for something like this for ages. "Adam Carew's grant has made this possible and will pay for the launch. After that we hope it will become a commercial success. The plan is to put this on every month at the Forest Community Centre. "We have a number of promising acts in the Bordon area already and we hope this initiative will also give local bands a chance to showcase." Doors open at the Forest Community Centre from 7.15pm for 8pm. Tickets cost £4 and can only be bought on the door.
