The BRIT Trust makes grants to four organisations to further causes that draw on the power of music
The recorded music industry’s leading charity, The BRIT Trust, announces today that it has made grants to four organisations that draw on the transformative power of music and the creative arts to provide education, wellbeing or community engagement.
Listed below are the four recipient organisations (see Notes for links to organisations & CEO quotes):
Heart n Soul – an award-winning creative arts company and charity that believes in the power and talents of people with learning disabilities, and provides opportunities for people to discover, develop and share this power and talent as widely as possible.
Independent Venue Community (IVC) – which supports, nurtures and celebrates independent music venues and the communities around them, on and off stage, all year round.
Not Saints – the UK’s only sobriety-based recovery record label and events company dedicated to working with those seeking a life free from drug and alcohol addiction.
Sing Inside – which provides group singing workshops in prisons across England and Wales, enabling participants to enjoy singing with others free from judgement or assessment, inspiring hope and confidence, and facilitating connection to others.
The BRIT Trust’s mission is to improve lives through the power of music and the creative arts. Funded largely by the annual BRIT Awards and The Music Industry Trusts (MITS) Award fundraising evening, the Trust has distributed around £28 million and made more than 230 grant commitments to a wide range of causes since it was founded by the BPI and record labels in 1989.
The BRIT Trust Chair Tony Wadsworth CBE said:
“So many wonderful organisations have been supported over the years by The BRIT Trust, including those that are well known to our industry, such as The BRIT School and Nordoff & Robbins, but we take great pride in giving a helping hand to many other organisations around the UK where our backing can help to make a difference to their equally vital work. On behalf of the Trustees, we are delighted to support these four deserving organisations and wish them all the best in their endeavours.”
About the four recipient organisations and CEO quotes:
Associate Director Esther Gagne: “Heart n Soul is delighted to have received a grant by The BRIT Trust. It will help us to continue our work with young people with learning disabilities and young autistic people, allowing them to develop their skills and confidence in exciting new ways.”
Founder Sybil Bell said: “Independent Venue Week and Independent Venue Community are over the moon to be supported by The BRIT Trust this year, especially as we celebrated our 10th anniversary of IVW. Working at the grassroots for communities on and off stage and all around the UK has been the foundation of our work and to have the support of an organisation that recognises this means so much. Together, we are looking forward to unlocking and nurturing talent in every part of the country and supporting those that want a career in the music industry.”
Founder/Director Chris De Banks said: "We're absolutely thrilled to have been offered support from The BRIT Trust and it's going to make a huge difference to our projects in 2023. The UK music industry is a vibrant and inspiring place to work but with drugs and alcohol still presenting huge problems for some professionals and artists alike it can be a hot bed for mental health and addiction problems. Many of the artists we work with felt that their careers were over as a result of these issues and that they could no longer have a future in music. With The BRIT Trust/BPI's help, Not Saints can continue to offer new hope and new meaning to those trying to rebuild their lives and their careers.”
Chief Executive Maisie Hulbert said: “As the prison system builds back from the Covid-19 pandemic, there are many uncertainties and new challenges associated with working in prisons of all kinds. The core support from The BRIT Trust will be invaluable in helping us to steady the ship at Sing Inside and respond to these changes, adapting to meet new needs and helping us to plan ahead. For small charities like us, which is primarily powered by volunteers, this money will be invaluable in helping us reach more people in prison and tailor volunteering opportunities to local communities, helping us understand all of our stakeholders better and ultimately bring more people together through community singing.”