Welcome to the 15th issue of Perth & Kinross Music Foundation’s 6 monthly Newsletter. The Trustees hope that you and your families are all well, and have been able to enjoy the lovely weather over recent weeks?
In this issue, we bring you up to date with what we have been up to over the last 6 months. There is also an update on our financial support to the Instrumental Music Service over the last 4 years since fees for instrumental tuition were abolished by the Scottish Government in Summer 2021.
What have we been up to over the last 6 months?
In the first few months of 2025, the Trustees (along with other like-minded individuals and groups) campaigned for the reversal of cuts to the Instrumental Music Service budget which Perth & Kinross Council had previously approved for financial years 2024/25 – 2026/27. This campaign was successful in that all the previously approved cuts were reversed at the Council budget setting meeting held in February 2025. This decision meant that the new Coordinator, Lynsey Paterson did not have to come up with savings proposals that would undoubtedly have included the loss of staff tutor posts.
The charge for young musicians attending Central Groups had been set at £100 per academic year from August 2024 through to April 2025. The Trustees received a few applications from families for support in paying these fees and these were all agreed, and funds subsequently paid to Perth & Kinross Council.
Following a successful appearance at the Scottish Brass Band Youth Festival of Brass in Perth Concert Hall last November where they won the Percussion Ensemble class for the second successive year, the Perth & Kinross Percussion Ensemble was invited to compete in the Scottish Young Musician Ensemble competition held in Glasgow in March 2025. They not only won the Percussion Group section, but were also crowned overall Scottish Young Musician Ensemble of the year for 2025 having competed against 12 other Ensembles of various disciplines from across Scotland.
Last year the Trustees decided to become active again in raising funds given that some charges had been reintroduced by Perth & Kinross Council from August 2024. We held a very successful concert in the North Inch Campus in March 2025 during which there were performances from several Central Groups. Perthshire Youth Brass also performed on the evening thus continuing our long-standing partnership with that group. The sum raised on the evening was more than £1,300 which was amazing. We were also successful in being readmitted to the annual grant award schemes operated by the Forteviot and Thomson Charitable Trusts. In addition, the Foundation was awarded a grant from Soroptimist International Perth Branch this year.