Working Group start to make progress

The Working Group set up at the recent Brass Band Summit Conference in Birmingham met and made progress again on the weekend under Chairman Stan Lippeatt.

Thursday, 09 September 2010

The first meeting of the 'Working Group' set up from the recent Brass Band Summit Conference, took place at Symphony Hall on the weekend following the conclusion of the British Open Championships.

The group was set up to look at the need for and possible functions and structure of a body to represent the Brass Band movement at a UK level.

Main objectives

Stan Lippeatt told 4BR: "Our thanks go to Martin Mortimer for arranging facilities at Symphony Hall to meet for the first time on Sunday. The main objectives were to discuss the raised points with a view to submitting recommendations to the next summit meeting in January 2011."

Make up

The meeting in Birmingham comprised of Allan Davison (Northern Ireland); Alan Edmond (Scotland); Andrew White (NABBC); George Burt (Scotland); Martin Mortimer (The British Open); Pedr Roberts (Wales); Philip Morris (National Championships of Great Britain); Robert Morgan (BFBB); Stan Lippeatt (ABBA) and Trevor Caffull (Brass in Concert).

Comprehensive agenda

Stan added: "The summit had produced a comprehensive agenda, raising many issues for the working party to discuss and move forward with."

4BR understands these included the aims and objectives of the new body, how best to include youth within this body (i.e. the next generation of players), the vision of banding in the UK, regional / devolved issues, how to fund the new body and ongoing summit meetings, discussions on the major topics for the group such as leadership, funding, structure, communication and the make up of the new body.

Further meeting

Following in depth discussions Stan revealed that it was felt that the group would benefit from a further meeting.

This would allow time for consultation on various points and for these developments to be brought back to the table. The group will meet again in London, the day after the National Championships, in October.

The summit had produced a comprehensive agenda, raising many issues for the working party to discuss and move forward with Chairman, Stan Lippeatt

Positive proposals

It is anticipated that following this meeting the working party will have positive proposals for the new representative body which they will be able to present to the next summit meeting for the approval of all the delegates.

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