How Sheffield's 'Ticket Bank' is keeping people sane in isolation - with access to free virtual events

Prior to lockdown, The Ticket Bank provided an on-line platform for organisers of events to pledge spare tickets, which were then distributed for free to people who wouldn’t normally be able to attend.

And in a bid to ensure that lockdown won’t stop people from socialising, the company has now launched The Virtual Ticket Bank – to enable charities and individuals to access free virtual content and events – including uplifting entertainment, online social activities, and wellness support.

Steve Rimmer, co-founder and CEO of Tickets for Good, which runs both the real and virtual Ticket Bank, said: “For some people, access to the arts is taken for granted, but this is not the case for many others.

“Financial constraints, care commitments and social exclusion are just some of the barriers that can prohibit people from going out and enjoying events, which is why we set up The Ticket Bank in the first place.

“We believe that participation in social activity should be for everyone, and we were so pleased to establish a ticket donations programme that had partnerships across the music, theatre, film and sports industry.”

The Virtual Ticket Bank will help to improve social inclusion by enabling communities to come together online, to attend virtual events and participate in activities.

The aim is to help reduce loneliness, build resilience and improve positive mental well-being.

Steve added: “Before the imposed social distancing, we helped people in need across society to attend events in the UK with no cost to the individual, and our network now includes over 550 registered organisations who have a total of over 100,000 service users.

“Despite the events industry facing some really tough times right now, we wanted to use our network and platform to help respond to the needs of our charity partners and their service users.

“I’m absolutely delighted we could launch our Virtual Ticket Bank service, and hope that we can help create meaningful connections and reduce loneliness in the process.

“Following the postponement of all events involving physical gatherings of people as a result of COVID-19, our new concept aims to continue supporting charities and their service users who now have an even greater risk of isolation.”

And the company is now seeking donations from anyone providing a digital paid-for service, such as ticketed events, online courses, and meditation apps – anything that can help people to connect to each other, improve their skills, participate in the arts, and generally maintain their mental wellbeing.

Regular email newsletters are currently being sent out to all charity partner user accounts, to enable access to virtual content, and the platform also features a live content calendar, with notifications able to be sent to beneficiaries via email.

Any new charities or social groups wishing to register for free, and allow their service users to benefit from the Virtual Ticket Bank service can do so HERE.

Visit HERE if you wish to donate access to an event or activity, or email [email protected] directly to offer support.

Watch Ticket Bank’s full story HERE.