Press and media
The People’s Orchestra: facts and figures
The People’s Orchestra is a UK charity, founded in 2012, that runs 28 community music groups for adults across England, Wales and Scotland. This page gives the charity’s key facts, figures and press materials in one place, for journalists, funders and partners.
Updated 26 October 2026 · Reviewed by Sarah Marshall, Founder and CEO
The People’s Orchestra in numbers
2012
year the charity was founded
28
community music groups: 2 orchestras, 25 show choirs and a big band
1,300+
singers and musicians
2,500+
people helped into paid work through the charity’s employment programmes
97%
of members enjoy rehearsals always or often (2026 member survey)
+85.6
Net Promoter Score from members (2026 member survey)
Key facts about The People’s Orchestra
| Name | The People’s Orchestra (Welsh: Cerddorfa’r Bobl) |
|---|---|
| Legal status | Registered charity in England and Wales, no. 1151321 – a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO), registered on 21 March 2013. Recognised by HMRC for Gift Aid |
| Also known as | TPO; The People’s Show Choirs (registered working names) |
| Founded | 2012, by Sarah Marshall and Andy Sandham |
| Leadership | Sarah Marshall, Founder and CEO, with a board of trustees – see staff and trustees |
| People | 10 employees and 5 trustees (2025–26) |
| Head office | West Bromwich Town Hall, Lodge Road, West Bromwich B70 8AY |
| What it does | Runs non-auditioned community orchestras, show choirs and a big band for adults, and uses music to bring about positive social change, including employment support and free benefits advice |
| Groups | 28: The People’s Orchestra (Birmingham and Carmarthen), 25 People’s Show Choirs and The People’s Big Band – see all groups |
| Where | England, Wales and Scotland – from the Black Isle in the Highlands to Wimbledon in London |
| Membership | £22 a month (£14 supported rate); The People’s Big Band £12 a month; bursaries available; two free sessions to try |
| Repertoire | Orchestra: music from film, TV and games, with some classical. Show choirs: songs from films, musicals and the charts |
| Concert dress | Orchestra players wear T-shirts in their section’s logo colour – yellow for brass, green for strings, blue for percussion, orange for woodwind – printed with their own instrument, so young people in the audience can see who plays what and ask about playing. The People’s Big Band wears blue. Each show choir has its own name on the back of its T-shirts and an area-coloured decal on the front, such as rose pink for Dudley and purple for Sandwell |
| Funders | Arts Council England (National Portfolio Organisation since 2023); National Lottery Community Fund |
| Awards | The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, 2021 (now the King’s Award) |
| Podcasts | The People’s Orchestra Podcast and Just The Tonic with Katie Derham – 24 episodes, each with a full transcript |
| Reviews | Rated 4.8 out of 5 from 36 reviews on Trustpilot (October 2026) |
About The People’s Orchestra: text for press releases
Journalists and partners are welcome to use either description as it stands.
Short version (52 words)
The People’s Orchestra is a UK charity (no. 1151321) that runs community music groups for adults. Founded in 2012, it runs two orchestras, 25 People’s Show Choirs and The People’s Big Band across England, Wales and Scotland, with no auditions. The charity also helps people into work and offers free benefits advice.
Long version (113 words)
The People’s Orchestra is a UK charity (no. 1151321) that uses music to bring about positive social change. Founded in 2012 by Sarah Marshall and Andy Sandham, it runs 28 non-auditioned community music groups for adults – two orchestras playing music from film, TV and games, 25 People’s Show Choirs (launched in 2018) and The People’s Big Band – across England, Wales and Scotland. Its employment programmes have helped more than 2,500 people into paid work, and it runs a free benefits advice service. The charity is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation and received The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2021. Its head office is at West Bromwich Town Hall.
The People’s Orchestra timeline
| March 2012 | Founded by Sarah Marshall and Andy Sandham. First performance: busking in Birmingham with five members. |
|---|---|
| March 2013 | Registered with the Charity Commission as a charitable incorporated organisation on 21 March 2013, and gave its first anniversary concert at The Public, West Bromwich. |
| 2018 | Launched The People’s Show Choir, which has since grown to 25 choirs across England, Wales and Scotland. The same year, the orchestra played its Inside Out concert in the foyer of Symphony Hall, Birmingham. |
| 2021 | Received The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award for voluntary groups in the UK. |
| 2023 | Became an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. |
| January 2025 | Launched The People’s Orchestra Podcast. |
| August 2026 | Launched Cerddorfa’r Bobl – The People’s Orchestra Carmarthen, for musicians across South West Wales. |
| September 2026 | New People’s Show Choirs launched in Carmarthen and Oswestry. |
Impact figures
| Figure | What it measures | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2,500+ | People moved into paid work through the charity’s employment programmes | Our social impact |
| ~80 a year | People receiving tailored back-to-work support | Our social impact |
| ~£368,000 a year | Household income unlocked by the free benefits advice service, which supports around 50 people a year | Our social impact |
| £50–£500 | Monthly community micro grants nominated by the choirs | Micro grants scheme |
| 64% · 63% · 63% | Members who feel more connected to others, more confident and in a better mood since joining | Member survey 2026, 153 responses |
| +85.6 | Net Promoter Score – 88% of members would recommend the charity’s groups | Member survey 2026, 153 responses |
About the member survey: most of the 153 respondents attend almost every week, so the results reflect regular members rather than people who tried a group and left.
Press kit
Logos and photos may be used in coverage of The People’s Orchestra. Please credit photos as shown in each file name.
Story ideas
From five buskers in 2012 to 28 groups · Concert T-shirts that get young people asking about instruments · 2,500+ people helped into work · A new choir launching near you
Read our Real Stories
Recent coverage
Find Your Voice with The People’s Show Choir – Oswestry Life, 23 October 2026
Media contact
For interviews, photos, filming at rehearsals or concerts, or anything else about The People’s Orchestra, contact the press team.
| Press contact | Jamie Parker, Digital Communications Coordinator |
|---|---|
| hello@thepeoplesorchestra.com | |
| Phone | 0121 569 2616 |
| Spokesperson | Sarah Marshall, Founder and CEO |
Sources
Charity details and staff numbers: Charity Commission register, charity 1151321 (accounts for the year to 31 March 2026). Funding: Arts Council England National Portfolio data, 2023–26. Award: Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2021 list (DCMS). Also on Wikidata and Wikipedia. Survey and impact figures: The People’s Orchestra’s own records. This page is reviewed whenever a figure changes, and at least every three months.
