4BR understands that there has been a major restructuring, including job losses, at Brass Bands England.

Staff were first invited on the 26th June to prioritise themselves for a meeting on the same day, with an additional meeting available for those who could not attend. Staff were invited to discuss the potential changes that were being considered by BBE.

Voluntary redundancies

4BR has been informed that a number of people have subsequently taken voluntary redundancy, whilst other jobs and roles have either been restructured or reduced in hours.

It is understood that voluntary redundancy was taken by four people — three from BBE's highly successful, award winning Brass Foundations team.

4BR understands that BBE stated that they had informed staff before the actual meeting that the arts sector was facing funding challenges.

However, it is also understood that staff were told that they hadn't needed to share specific information to how it was precisely affecting BBE in terms of its additional fundraising capacity above its core funding, as up to the last six to nine months before the meeting was called, the organisation was "doing OK".

Inflation and competition

4BR understands that it was also stated that the inflationary effects following the implementation of Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss's budget (made in September 2022) had led to significant financial challenges.

Alongside stronger competition from other bodies, this was said to have impacted on a much changed funding landscape that BBE stated had seen them unable to gain a single success with a grant this financial year to supplement their static core funding from Arts Council England.

As with other charitable ACE funded bodies, it has been widely reported that any increase in future BBE core funding is likely to be very limited if any (understood to be 1.5% per annum for the past year), through to the end of March 2028, after the latest round of funding application bids for National Portfolio Investments Programmes was delayed.

Real terms drop

4BR has found that other major charitable organisations in the music sector have also reported a significant tightening of their revenue streams in recent years, with real terms Arts Council England core funding dropping by over 20%, and with around half of ACE funded bodies said to find the current financial outlook severe.

4BR asked BBE for a response which is published in full below.

Having explored every alternative during a lengthy and very constructive consultation process involving all staff members, we made the extremely difficult decision to reduce the size of the Brass Foundations delivery teamBBE

BBE response

Brass Bands England (BBE) is currently undergoing a restructuring process and, as it this still ongoing, we are unable to comment in detail on certain matters at this time.

More generally, the restructuring is complex, but aimed at providing our membership and the wider brass band community with the best possible range of services and advice that we can deliver to a high standard in an ever-changing and extremely challenging funding environment.

These challenges are similar to those being experienced by arts organisations across the UK, including other Arts Council England NPOs and those dependent on other external funding sources, many of which have needed to restructure to survive the fallout from the downturn in the economy since 2022.

Having explored every alternative during a lengthy and very constructive consultation process involving all staff members, we made the extremely difficult decision to reduce the size of the Brass Foundations delivery team.

Two colleagues will continue to play an integral role in advancing BBE's education provision on a national level, but the remaining members of the permanent team have accepted voluntary redundancy from their roles, although will continue to deliver future projects on behalf of BBE on a freelance basis.

Brass Bands England has always been committed to excellence, innovation and the highest standards of service to its members, and our Brass Foundations Team has embodied this commitment, including earning recognition across the industry for its outstanding contribution and for bringing the music education sector closer to brass banding communities.

Although much of this work will continue, including our groundbreaking Brass Foundations Future Leaders Programme, the necessary restructure will impact on roles across the organisation.

Brass Foundations provision will be affected, but this is not a reflection of the talent, dedication or extraordinary achievements of the team, whose work has set new benchmarks in the sector and brought immense pride to BBE.

We are profoundly grateful to those who are leaving our employment for the skill, creativity and passion they have brought to their work. We thank them for the lasting impact they have made on our organisation and the wider community, and look forward to working extensively with them on Brass Foundations provision in the near future.

Looking ahead, our education work will continue to be a cornerstone of what we do. By moving to a new freelance model of provision, we will not only ensure that these vital programmes remain accessible and impactful, but also create opportunities for those impacted by the restructure to continue sharing their valuable expertise with us on a freelance basis.

This change, focused on ensuring the sustainability of our education work across the country in the long term, will allow us to remain innovative, expand our reach and ensure our education initiatives continue to inspire and engage communities for years to come.

Kenneth Crookston
Chief Executive Officer, Brass Bands England