AstraZeneca Cuts Its Funding for Brass Bands

(MoneyWatch)  AstraZeneca has ended its funding of a brass band, but the company denies the cut was made because of recession-related budgeting reasons. Few knew that AstraZeneca funded a brass band in the first place, but the Macclesfield, U.K., Express reports that the drug giant has ended its sponsorship of the marching orchestra:

The multinational is tightening its purse strings and has announced cuts in funding for arts-based community projects, so the firm can focus on medical development.

This has scuppered chances of more cash for Macclesfield's well loved Silk Brass band, and other organisations. Silk Brass received around ?£3,000 a year from AZ last year, and have been sponsored since 1997

AZ recently announced 700 layoffs at its Hurdsfield site as part of its plan to reduce its workforce by 9,000 jobs.

The company said it plans to "focus" its charity efforts on improving healthcare in local communities and promoting science education and skills. "Focus" is often a corporate euphemism for "reduce," but on this occasion AZ spokesperson Christopher Sampson told BNET in an email that AZ is using the word in its dictionary sense:

While we won't be funding the brass band going forward, it's not true that we're reducing our commitments to charity. We continue to support a range of community projects in Cheshire and other regions where we have a presence, and will continue to do so. As you can imagine, AstraZeneca UK can't fulfil all of the requests it receives, so they're now providing greater clarity around which activities they are able to support. Unfortunately the brass band no longer meets our criteria.

Inevitably some organisations that previously received funding will no longer be eligible beyond existing arrangements. But again, we have not diminished our commitment to charity

... we don't publicise the details of our donations (although some recipient organisations may choose to) as we don't seek to gain commercial benefit through these donations.

You can read the band's own take on the matter here. But better than that, turn the volume up on your computer and blast your office with this video of Silk Brass in action last year. Frankly, they rock.