The family of Cockermouth musician, Bridget Hilton, is celebrating what would have been her 80th birthday by opening applications for Bridget’s Magical Music Pot.

Bridget sadly passed away due to a brain tumour, after a short illness, in 2018.

Her family set up a legacy fund, aimed at supporting community music making in West Cumbria.

The fund, created with support from Cumbria Community Foundation, has garnered £50,000 after five years of fundraising.

It is an endowed fund invested to grow over time and the annual income generated from it will fund music projects.

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Bridget's daughter, Kate Parry, who resides in Cockermouth, said: "We’re so excited to have reached our target of £50,000.

"It means we can now open Bridget’s Magical Music Pot to applications. To arrive at this point on what would have been my mum’s 80th birthday feels just brilliant."

Bridget's spouse, David Hilton, underlined Bridget's passion and dedication to music.

He said: "Bridget loved making music. As a music teacher, she spent her life bringing people together to play and have fun.

"That’s what she did and that’s what we want Bridget’s Magical Music Pot to support in her memory."

The fund will allow the awarding of a small number of grant concessions of up to £500 each year to various community music groups.

"We envisage funding things like sheet music, equipment, tuition costs and room hire," said Mr Hilton.

"Anything that makes it possible for people to come together and enjoy playing together, because we know how much good that does people."

On behalf of Bridget’s family, her daughter, Alison Hilton, thanked everyone that helped reach the £50,000 mark.

She said: "People have been so generous and worked so hard to get us to this point. Even though we’ve reached our initial target, we’ll keep fundraising because the more we raise the more money we can give out in grants to people in West Cumbria."

Jenny Benson, director of programmes and partnerships at Cumbria Community Foundation warmly thanked Bridget’s family for choosing the Foundation to manage their charitable contributions in Bridget's memory.

She said: "The memorial fund will continue to share Bridget's love of music and encourage others to make music together for a long time to come. This is such a wonderful legacy for a truly remarkable and inspiring woman.”

More information about Bridget’s Magical Music Pot can be found at www.cumbriafoundation.org/fund/bridgets-magical-music-pot

Donations to the fund can be made through https://cumbriafoundation.enthuse.com