4BR has been informed that Frank Hodges has resigned his position as a Director of BFBB Contest Ltd with immediate effect.

Respected

It has been widely understood that the respected British Open contest controller has been in dispute with the BFBB over the treatment of staff at the British Brass Band Registry for some time, the result of which saw him removed from his position of Registry Line Manager in August of this year.

Strongly worded

In a strongly worded resignation letter to the BFBB, he states that his decision is based on what he refers to as, "...the breakdown of trust and confidence in the board, and the total failure of the board to address my significant concerns relating to the corporate governance of BFBB Contests Limited."

He further writes: "The failure of the board to manage conflicts of interest from the BFBB Charity in relation to the BFBB Contests Limited governance of the British Brass Band Registry has engineered a toxic and destructive environment.2

The noxious treatment of British Brass Band Registry staff is reckless and vicious. The caustic effects of this ill-treatment and resulting residual negativity cannot be overcomeFrank Hodges

Dogma

He adds: "To underline my decision, the wellbeing of employees and the interests of bands are sidelined in favour of individual pride and dogma, such that I no longer have confidence in the integrity of the board.

My attempts to address my concerns have been completely ignored, and there remains no prospect of fair treatment."

Noxious

He ends by writing: "The noxious treatment of British Brass Band Registry staff is reckless and vicious. The caustic effects of this ill-treatment and resulting residual negativity cannot be overcome."

At present there has been no official response from the BFBB.