Thieves cause £1,000 worth of damage to Glasgow music studio just a week after a Crowdfunder was launched to keep it afloat

Over £1000 of damage has been caused to one of Glasgow’s oldest music studios, Carlton Studios, after it was broken into over the weekend just days after starting a crowdfunding campaign to help with financial difficulties.

Over £200 in cash was stolen along with the till.

Thieves broke into the studio sometime between Saturday night and Sunday morning, and in addition to the £1,000 worth of damage caused, they stole £200 in cash.

Lesley O’Brien, Events Manager at Carlton Studios, said: “On Sunday morning, we were devastated to find the windows and doors of our cafe had been smashed and the grill ripped from the wall with a chunk of the sandstone lying on the ground.

"Thieves had entered via the cafe window, ransacked the place and stolen the till.”

The windows were smashed as the thieves broke-in.

The money stolen had been donated by supporters of the recent crowdfunder which Carlton Studios started in a bid to survive amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The studio was established in 1990 and is one of Glasgow’s oldest music studios, but with the financial pressure caused by the pandemic, it is struggling to meet its running costs and is in danger of closing for good.

The crowdfunder was set up on January 9 and has a target of £30,000 to cover day-to-day expenses, so far it has raised over a third of its goal.

Ms O’Brien continued: “After being uplifted by the outpouring of love, support and donations we have received via our crowdfunder campaign, this was a real blow.”

The windows were smashed as the thieves broke-in.

She added: “We have been overwhelmed by the hundreds of supporters who have posted heart felt testimonials saying what Carlton Studios means to them.

"We wish to give a huge thanks to everyone for their kind words and for being so generous particularly in these hard times when many are struggling to make ends meet.”

Ms O’Brien has also started a petition calling for Glasgow City Council to include music studios in the council tax relief scheme awarded to retail, leisure and hospitality.

She said that this could help prevent the permanent closure of venues such as Carlton Studios, and additionally allow them to continue servicing the network of musicians in the city by providing employment opportunities and helping them overcome isolation and mental health problems amid the pandemic.

The studio started a crowdfunder to try to stay afloat amid financial difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

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