Birmingham-based education and training charity Services For Education is embarking on a significant expansion programme as part of a bid to encourage more children in the city to learn to play music and extend its education training services.
The charity, which already employs 275 people, mostly in Birmingham, was established in 2012. Its School Support Service already provides support and training to 520 schools and its Music Service each week teaches music to 38,000 children in Birmingham (a 5% up on last year). It also provides 28,000 musical instruments free-of-charge.
Now it aims to teach music to 60,000 children each week by 2020, introduce learn to play music sessions for adults as well as introduce choirs and music for the elderly.
Its education services are also being expanded particularly in areas such as safeguarding and training for new school heads. It also plans to increase its partnerships in the commercial and not-for-profit sectors.
To support its development ambitions, Services For Education has appointed Dr Tracy Carlton as the charity’s first Marketing and Business Development Director. She will expand its geographic area working with funders, commercial organisations and the not-for-profit sector. Her joining follows the appointment in late 2017 of former school principal Martyn Collin as Chief Executive.
Dr Carlton, who has worked in education business development for more than twenty years and most recently was Director of Marketing at international online education provider Keypath Education UK, said that there were significant opportunities.
“Despite reductions in funding available for arts and music, we want to ensure that even more children in the city and surrounding areas benefit from this vital part of their education. Learning to play and enjoy music benefits children on many fronts and improves academic abilities generally.
Schools are also having to stretch every pound and training is a vital part of their achieving that.
“Having worked with a number of education providers, I know the importance of their work. There is much to be done but the work truly does speak for itself. I know with the support of the Services For Education team, we can continue to support many more schools and academies across the greater Birmingham, West Midlands area and beyond.”
Martyn Collin, said:
“We are seeing increasing demand for our services in schools and academies, but there is also an increasing funding crisis. We receive significant support from the Arts Council but through more effective and sustained marketing we intend to extend our reach and widen our scope and support an increasing number of schools. Partnering with others will enable us to do that.
“We have ambitious plans to make Birmingham the best place in the UK to learn to play music in schools. We want more people of all ages to enjoy music – and joining in.
“Tracy joins us at a crucial time as we seek to engage with a wider range of organisations in the West Midlands and nationally. She has a wealth of experience in the education sector and I am confident her appointment will be invaluable as we extend the range of our services and engage with more organisations.”
