A CROWTHORNE-based pupil is preparing to pick up sticks in a bid to help Ukrainian refugees.
On Friday, Lola Teague is playing in a sponsored drumathon at Dolphin School in Hurst.
Starting at 8am, she will play for five solid hours, through to 1pm – and luckily for her, it is a half-day so she can recover without worrying about double algebra on a Friday afternoon.
Lola started drumming when she was four, but it was a bit of serendipity.
“My dad is a drummer, and my brother got a drum kit for one of his birthdays,” she says. “He wasn’t really into drumming, but I remember just getting behind (the kit) and really enjoying being able to pick up the sticks and make a bunch of noises, just feeling the groove and stuff.”
And from small acorns, comes some mighty drum solos.
Lola enjoys playing rock beats, but is also branching out into reggae.
“It’s really fun music to play,” she says.
And she has a band, the Bow Bellas. With a school friend who plays guitar and sings, they have been gigging.
The talented 12-year-old came third in the under 18s category of an international drumming contest last year, and it is this global connection that has seen Lola want to help the people of Ukraine in their hour of need.
“Through the contest, I got to meet a bunch of new drummers, whom I’m actually still in contact with now,” she says. “It was just so much fun to meet new people and watch how they drum.”
She’s formed Instagram friendships with drummers from all over the world, including Russia and Ukraine.
Lola’s mum Elli said: “She has a really good community of kids her age on Instagram, all messaging each other, supporting each other. They do collaborations together.”
The money raised from Friday’s drumathon will go to help some Polish friends who have, off their own backs, hired some space and converted into into a refuge for people fleeing Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
It’s a big deal, with the community rallying round to ensure it is fitted out, and the children have a school to attend.
Lola set a target of £1,000, but this has already been smashed – so she’s now aiming for £5,000, with every penny going to help the refuges in Poland.
And the drumming? Lola can’t wait, but it will be a step up for her.
“I’m a little nervous, but I think I’ll be OK,” she says. “I’ve never gone straight out doing five hours before, so this will be my first time.”
Donations can be made at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/marcel-drabik
