RockCorps was launched as a social business in the United States in 2005 by 7 friends: Stephen Greene (CEO), Grady Lee (COO), Haley Moffett (Head of Production), Chris Robinson (Creative Director), Toby Garrett (Producer), Paul Hunter and Noel Eisenberg. Volunteers have earned their tickets to RockCorps gigs in cities across the US including New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Oakland, Houston, Chicago, Portland OR, Baltimore, Washington DC and Miami.

In 2008 RockCorps partnered with Orange and Sony Ericsson to bring RockCorps to the UK. The first concert took place on September 26th at the Royal Albert Hall featuring Busta Rhymes, Ludacris and John Legend. In 2009, RockCorps has grown in the UK with gigs at the Manchester Apollo and again at the Royal Albert Hall. 2009 also saw the the first RockCorps show in France at Le Zenith theatre in Paris.

RockCorps has over 450 charity and non-profit partners in the US and Europe. All of the volunteering events are done in partnership with and for the benefit of local charities.

All of RockCorps funding comes from its brand partners. Orange is RockCorps’ lead partner in the UK and France, both supporting the programme directly and also delivering communications campaigns to help spread the word and inspire a new generation of volunteers. Young people have to give 4 hours of their time to put back into the community, and for their hard work they get given a ticket to a music gig with big name artists playing – the idea is as simple as that.

I was at the Royal Albert Hall for this year’s RockCorps and the atmosphere was amazing, everyone having a good time and feeling good about helping out with the community.

As the idea of RockCorps has already spread from America to the UK and now to Paris, it’s surely only a matter of time before it starts heading to Asia? Japan for instance, where the elderly make up a big part of the population could easily be the type of place where RockCorps works its magic, with the young helping the old.

Give, Get Given.

http://www.rockcorps.com/

http://www.orangerockcorps.co.uk/