Superstar singer Ed Sheeran has been generously investing in the next generation of musicians, giving nearly £1million to his charity foundation.
Ed has already put nearly £500,000 into his Framlington Foundation Trust over the past five years. The foundation helps budding young musicians get a start in the industry.
The Mirror reports that another near-£500k is earmarked to be donated moving forward. Ed, who is worth an estimated £180m, has been giving away his money to help kids get a hold of instruments, rehearsal spaces and gigs.
A source said: “Ed has never forgotten his struggle to reach the top and the impact music made on his life. It is fantastic he’s helping in this way.”
Speaking about The Framlington Foundation Trust - named after the Suffolk town where he grew up - Ed said: “The reason I’m doing it in Suffolk is [because] it’s the area I grew up, I still live here and I learnt how to play music here and I feel like I’ve had a lot of support from the area and I feel like I wanna give some support back.”
Last year, Ed gave £30,000 to the music department at the Thomas Mills School in Framlingham through the foundation to pay for equipment.
Its director of music Richard Hanley said: “At a time when music and the arts are under pressure and under threat in schools, it is so comforting to know students at this school have a source of support that enables access and equality of opportunity to all.
“It sends a clear message that music and the arts are an essential element of broad and balanced education as well as being an essential part of the human experience.”
Thomas Mills School is where Ed began writing songs and met now-wife Cherry Seaborn, 30, mum of Lyra Antarctica, two, and Jupiter, six months.
On his charitable nature, the singer has said: “It’s like ‘earn a penny, spend a penny’ with me. As soon as it comes in, it goes out. I don’t have much value on it. […] I have more value on my friends and family being OK.”
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