Singing their way to smarter fundraising: Leicester Musical Memory Box & CollecTin Solo

Leicester Musical Memory Box is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving health, wellbeing and social connection through music and singing. Its work focuses primarily on people affected by dementia and memory loss, as well as their carers, families and others who benefit from music-based engagement. power of music.
The charity welcomes people from diverse communities, including English-speaking and South Asian groups, and often partners with local venues and organisations to broaden its reach.

Background

For regular music group sessions, Leicester Musical Memory Box asks for a suggested donation to support its work. However, as cash usage declines, they have experienced some participants and visitors no longer carrying cash. Without a cashless giving option, the organisation was missing out on potential donations. This challenge was also noticeable at their larger, dementia-friendly carol services and partner-run events, where attendees expected modern, easy ways to give. To address this gap and make donating simple for all supporters, they explored cashless solutions that were easy to use for both donors and volunteers.

Solution

To provide a simple, flexible, and branded contactless giving option, Leicester Musical Memory Box, with support from Harborough District Council, purchased three CollecTin Solo units.

Key benefits of the CollecTin Solo solution for Leicester Musical Memory Box include:

• User-friendly experience - donors can tap to give quickly with cards or phones, making it ideal for visitors who don’t carry cash.
• Multiple donation levels - each unit can be configured with four suggested donation options, helping drive giving amounts
• Fully branded wrap to build trust - the units were customised with the organisation’s colours, logos and photography, reassuring donors that they were supporting a trusted, reputable organisation.

This combination of functionality, visual identity and ease of use made the CollecTin Solo the right choice for Leicester Musical Memory Box.

Results

The units have been used effectively at a variety of settings, including the charity’s regular music group sessions in care homes and community halls, their dementia-friendly carol service, and events delivered through third-party partners.
The feedback to the units has been very positive, with volunteers and donors alike finding the units easy to operate.

According to Christina Birkby, Director and Music in Care Practitioner at Leicester Musical Memory Box, commented:

“We were really pleased with the units, and having fixed amounts helped to guide people to make a favourable choice, and we definitely picked up donations that would have been missed without a contactless option. We are looking forward to working with our CollecTin Solos more this year.”