Sarah receives life membership medal just days before passing away

Just nine days before she sadly passed away, Sarah Brooksbank was presented with her life membership medal from the Scottish Brass Band Association for her lengthy service to the brass banding community.

It was on Thursday 12 September that Sarah received her long service award at the hospice in St Andrews Hospital. She was thrilled to accept this accolade as, apart from her family and close friends, brass banding was a huge part of her life.

Seven of her banding friends went along to the presentation and played for her in the garden outside her room at the hospice, while her best friend Lesley Smith handed over the medal which SBBA secretary Tom Allan had kindly organised.

Sadly Sarah passed away on Saturday (21 September) after her diagnosis of stage 4 cancer which she had bravely fought with dignity since May 2022.

Her last contest was with Buckhaven & Methil Miners Brass Band at the Scottish Championships in March this year, where she originally thought she was receiving her long service medal which she believed happened automatically. 

When lifelong banding pal Jayne Brown heard about this, she contacted Tom to arrange the presentation of the medal.

Sarah started playing the cornet at Methihill Primary School and went on to Buckhaven High School where she and Jayne played in the school wind band which made a recording of an LP entitled No Strings Attached.

While attending High School, Sarah joined Buckhaven & Methil Brass Band in 1974. She left for London in the mid-1980s where she played with various bands. On returning to Buckhaven a decade later she played with Tullis Russell Intermediate Band and Dysart Band before transferring once again to Buckhaven & Methil Miners.

It was in March that she contributed to the band’s runner-up position in the Fourth Section at the Scottish Championships and, despite being desperate to get to the National Finals in Cheltenham, it transpired she was too ill to attend.