Bedfordshire Music Trust Information

The Bedfordshire Music Trust is an established charity which was founded in 2001 to support music education, participation and appreciation among the young people of Bedfordshire. Our principal activity is the provision of courses for ensemble playing. These courses are aimed at students aged 8 – 21 who already play an instrument but who are looking to experience playing in high quality ensembles or groups. In 2011 we took over the Bedfordshire Youth Orchestra and Band courses which were previously run by the local authority. These courses have been successfully re-established on a sound, independent financial footing and are largely funded by course fee income. We have a small administration team, a large group of volunteers and around 40 music teachers are engaged on a contract basis to deliver our courses. With a focus on effective management and marketing these instrumental courses are now able to continue without grant funding. In the context of reduced government funding for music we are committed to ensuring youth music remains strong in the County, by providing the best opportunities for talented young players. Learning and playing an instrument has been shown to have an enormous impact on a young person’s academic and social development. Our aims are to increase participation by creating new projects and developing them towards sustainable operation alongside our current projects.