A CHARITABLE Carlisle band has lost thousands of pounds worth of equipment and been left with nowhere to practise after a fire raged through their rehearsal space.

North Dakota were shattered to find the old Boys Brigade hut, in Brampton Road, Carlisle, blackened by smoke following the blaze on Saturday.

The band, who do all their gigs for charity and have raised more than £27,800 to date, have lost a drum kit, amplifiers, microphones and a PA system.

Gordon Frazer, of Carlisle, thinks everything they’ve lost is worth about £9,000.

“I could have cried,” he said. “We have been there a long time. It’s terrible. It’s just a black mess. Inside it’s all charred.”

North Dakota perform about four or five charity gigs a year. Their most recent event, held at Carlisle Cricket Club, raised £2,800 for Parkinson’s UK. They were next looking to host an event in aid of Blood Bikes in March.

They’ve also supported charities including Cancer Research UK, CFM’s Cash 4 Kids and the Great North Air Ambulance Service.

North Dakota always play for free, in fact Gordon says it probably costs them to play. “We never take a penny out for petrol or anything. We do it out of the good of our hearts,” he said.

“We want to keep going and find somewhere we can practise. There is a lot of equipment that needs to be replaced so we will see what we can do.

“Nobody was hurt. That is the main thing."

Members are looking at claiming on their individual insurances but contents insurance for the building doesn’t cover musical equipment.

The band have also been looking at how they can repair the damage cause by the fire, which was contained in the room which housed their belongings.

North Dakota have used the hut on and off for about seven years, which is on glebe land, owned by the Diocese of Carlisle.

A spokesman for the diocese explained any proceeds from the sale of glebe land are ring fenced for the Diocesan Clergy Stipends Fund, supporting the cost of clergy salaries and pensions.

"In recent years the Stanwix Boys’ Brigade unit disbanded and handed over the building to a band for use as a rehearsal room, in an agreement reached at a local level," he said.

“The Diocesan Property Manager has yet to complete an inspection of the damaged building in order to establish the full extent of the damage caused by the fire.

"We will be liaising with contacts of the band which has been using the venue for rehearsals."

The News & Star understands the fire was caused due to an electrical fault and spokesman for Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service confirmed it was not being treated as suspicious.