Making music, making money for charity, and making a difference

Way back in ****, some boating friends got together to mess around with guitars 'n' things. One of their number foolishly agreed to do a gig at a boat rally, and 'Penny Short' was born.

The line-up has fluctuated over the intervening years; two or three keyboard players, a couple of brass and wind, different guitarists and mandolin players, loads of talented people have come and gone until we have today's line-up; Danny on drums, Phil on bass, Colin on mandolin, Wheat on rhythm guitar, Bob on lead and Jeni on percussion – everyone does vocals.

The band YOU can afford

One group of people we have to mention are the stalwarts who have set up our ever-changing sound system over the years.. Without Paddy, Gill, Pete, Trevor and Graham, we'd never have achieved the atmosphere at our gigs – after all, the audience do need to hear us, poor things!

Since that first gig in **** we have played, on average, one gig a month, usually at boating venues or Country clubs, but we also do festivals, parties, weddings, bar mitzvahs – whatever! We play country, folk, rock, **s, **s, sad ballads (and bad salads) and a lot of novelty and comedy numbers. Indeed, tell us what you want and we'll do it (no, we're NOT going home!

We donate everything we make to charity and we do it for fun, in our 'spare' time.

We've managed to raise over £**,***.** for various charities such as Breast Cancer Awareness, Leukaemia Trust, Prader-Willi Syndrome Association, Sunfield Children's Home and Air Ambulances from three counties. We're currently working to support Jordanne Whiley, Halesowen's own and the National Wheelchair Tennis Champion, in her training for the Paralympics in ****.