Bass signed by Frightened Rabbit and Death Cab for Cutie auctioned to help Tiny Changes support young people’s mental health

Youth mental health has declined in the last few years. Scottish charity Tiny Changes, set up in tribute to Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchison, aims to tackle that issue. To raise money for their first ever Make Tiny Changes Month they have some unique memorabilia up for grabs, including a bass guitar signed by Frightened Rabbit and Death Cab for Cutie.

The guitar is a unique piece of musical history, having been signed by both bands during their 2011 summer tour in the USA. 

It was donated by Scott’s brother Grant Hutchison, the drummer for Frightened Rabbit who now performs with fellow Scottish band Twilight Sad. He said he and Scott always planned to auction off the bass.

“Death Cab For Cutie are a band that we all look up to and are inspired by so when we were asked to support them back in 2008 it felt a bit like a dream. We toured with them again in the US in 2011 and this bass guitar was signed by us all with a plan to auction it off at some point,” he added. “Since then it’s had an illustrious career in a cupboard under the stairs so hopefully we can find it a good home and give it a life again!”

As well as the bass auction, Make Tiny Changes Month will be fundraising through an online raffle which features an original hand-drawn greeting card by Scott Hutchison, a five-course tasting menu for two at the incredible vegan hotel Saorsa 1875 in Pitlochry, plus gifts from the likes of Atlantic Records, Aesop, Dishoom, award-winning author Max Porter, Flare Audio, Tens and more.

One in six children aged five to 16 are likely to have a mental health problem – a figure that has gone up by 50 per cent in the last three years, since the global pandemic destabilised everyone’s lives and the cost-of-living crisis hit. It’s a shocking statistic that makes the very first Make Tiny Changes Month all the more vital, said Tiny Changes CEO Kara Brown.

“With young people’s mental health and cost of living both at crisis point, the work of Tiny Changes and partners is more important than ever,” she said. “Inequality on top of this weighs down on too many young people’s health and potential. The need for equalities-driven early mental health interventions, truly led and informed by young people is critical. Make Tiny Changes Month shows how much support and drive there is for this work and we’re so grateful to Frightened Rabbit, Death Cab for Cutie and everyone who has sent us a gift or donation this March and cheered us on. All is not lost.”

Make Tiny Changes Month has already raised more than £15,000 which will support the mission of the charity to transform young people’s mental health in Scotland.

Tiny Changes was established after Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchison died by suicide in May 2018. Hutchison was a powerful advocate for better understanding of mental health – including open conversations about his own struggles in the pages of The Big Issue, of which he was a passionate supporter – and the charity continues his legacy.

Tiny Changes were named as Big Issue Changemakers, honouring the work they do to make the world a better place, in 2020.

The bass guitar auction is live now on Tiny Changes Ebay page.

The Make Tiny Changes Month raffle goes live the last week of March on Tiny Changes raffle page.

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