Music services forced to merge

Three music services are planning to join over fears they could lose funding and have to close otherwise, due to government changes to how music education is funded.

The council-run services which provide music education to young people in North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, and Bath and North East Somerset plan to form one independent organisation.

Around 150 people work across the three services. Under this plan, they would transfer to the new organisation and there would not be any planned redundancies.

A report by the head of North Somerset and South Gloucestershire’s music services, Simon Lock, stated: “We believe this is the only viable option to retain the government funding on which the service relies.”

Agreement on the plans will be sought from the three councils this year and the new organisation will need to bid for funding in January and February. If the bid is successful, staff will transfer across to the new organisation and it will take on the work of the three music services from September.

However, if the bid for funding is not successful, the music services would need to close.