BBE announces the closing of the Norman Jones Trust, following the distribution of the final funds to band projects, and the appointment of a new Fundraising Manager to support bands.
Norman Jones was for many years the secretary of Brass Bands England in its previous incarnation, the British Federation of Brass Bands (BFBB). He worked tirelessly for brass bands and for the organisation, and was responsible for setting up the Fedsure insurance scheme that has aided many bands up and down the country and is a lasting legacy of his work. Following his untimely death in 2007, the then BFBB was informed that it and its member bands would benefit from a large sum of money that Norman had bequeathed in his will. This trust fund has been managed by Trustees and distributed among BBE Member bands on an open application basis for:
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New music commissions, especially from new or young composers
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Working with other art forms
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Working with disadvantaged groups
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Assistance for students to help with musical education
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Projects which will have a lasting effect on the brass band community
In recent years, the fund has supported a number of projects and initiatives including a youth band recruitment project led by St Austell Brass Band, the European Brass Band Festival, Lancashire Music Hub’s Brass at the Seaside Festival, The Brass Band Conference 2022, The UniBrass Foundation for newly commissioned work for the 2022 Gala Concert, and most recently a sum of £1,000 to St Helen’s Youth Brass Band for their ongoing education and outreach work.
Brass Bands England’s Chief Executive Officer, Kenny Crookston, commented: “The Norman Jones Trust has been at the heart of BBE’s funding resources for the past 15 years and has benefitted literally thousands of members of our community in that time. We are eternally grateful for Norman Jones’ legacy, which will continue to benefit young musicians in the future through the education programmes that it has helped to establish in recent years.”
Although the Norman Jones Trust is no longer available for applications, Brass Bands England can still support its members via its Fundraising Service, generously supported by The Backstage Trust.
Kenny Crookston added: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of a new Fundraising Manager, Beth Currie, who joined the team in early February. Beth brings a wealth of experience in fundraising for community organisations and is looking forward to starting working with BBE’s member bands.”
Recent successes from the Fundraising Service include Leicester-based Drum and Brass who secured £37,164 from Arts Council England for their Inclusive Orchestra project and a further £8,700 from Eden District Council for a Cumbria community music programme offering learn-from-scratch opportunities for all age groups to develop new players for progression into Appleby and Kirkby Stephen bands. Dalkeith and Monktonhall Brass Band was also successful, being awarded £5,000 from the Foyle Foundation towards equipment and core running costs for the band.
Those interested in accessing the BBE’s Fundraising or Project Management Services can find more information on the BBE Fundraising Service page.