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Bedford Borough Council proposal to Cut Music Funding by 50%

Please have your say before 21st November 2011

The Friends of Bedfordshire Youth Music (FBYM) were pleased when Bedford Borough Council announced that it would establish its own Music Service in September this year, due to the ending of Bedfordshire Music (the former shared Council Music Service ) in the summer.

As part of its 2012 modernisation programme, currently, Bedford Borough Council is undertaking a public consultation about how it may save £36 million over the next four years.

FBYM is extremely concerned, that one of the Council's saving proposals would see a £106,000 reduction in its funding of Music for Bedford Borough by 2014.

We believe that this cut is in addition to a reduction of more than £100,000 in Music Service funding, which FBYM believe has been implemented already, by the Borough Council, over the past two years.

We are concerned that if implemented, this cut may:-

• Have a significant impact upon the cost of lessons and music groups provided by Music for Bedford Borough.
• Reduce the range and number of musical opportunities available for children and young people in the Borough/
• Mean that far fewer children and young people are able to access the wonderful opportunity of learning to play a musical instrument in the future.

We encourage you to have your say about this proposed cut in the Council's funding of Music Education in the Borough by responding to the Council's on–line consultation, before 21st November, 2011.

Please visit the Borough Council's website www.bedford.gov.uk and follow the link to the 2012 budget consultation.  Look for proposal CSSF 3 under the CSSF section of the consultation and follow the links to read the proposal and make your comment.

Thank you,
Robert HeleyChairman FBYM

November 5, 2011 | Permalink | Comment