Funding opportunities being explored in five-year strategic plan

The Scottish Brass Band Association’s recently-appointed funding officer, Aileen Douthwaite, introduced herself to band delegates at the AGM and talked about the current funding landscape in Scotland.

She explained that applications currently submitted to Creative Scotland included the successful YMI Access to Music-making grant from April 2024 to March 2025, previously carried out by Paul Wood before the arrival of Aileen.

There are also pending submissions to Creative Scotland for two years of funding support and Awards for All which would, if successful, support parts of SBBA's five-year strategic plan and the upcoming Solo and Ensemble Championships final next month.

SBBA’s five-year strategic plan "Cradle to Grave" has been developed in consultation with the trustees and will include work ranging from pre-5 to intergenerational work with older adults.  More details will follow when the trustees and executive committee have had time to review the first draft and approve a final version.

Aileen highlighted the need to start to generate an evidence bank in terms of historical work delivered at a national, regional and local level, as well as work specifically related to YMI since lockdown in 2019/20. 

Some funders are now starting to ask questions about environmental footprint, equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), fairer work and governance.

SBBA has had to submit an ED&I action plan with one of its applications and has joined Creative Carbon Scotland to look for support tools concerning its carbon footprint and the net zero target of 2045.

Aileen added: “SBBA will be cascading this information throughout the organisation as we move this on at a national level but if any band does have someone skilled in this area, I ask you to please make contact with me.”

Over the coming months, Aileen’s work will include:

• scoping the potential for international touring for NYBBS groups and associated costs
• completing the first draft development plan 
• supporting the policies sub-committee with any new policy development required 
• creating a databank of trusts and foundations that SBBA can apply to for additional funding for various strands of the five-year plan when approved

Aileen concluded by again asking for people to make contact with her through one of these two email addresses: sbbafunding@gmail.com and amdarts@outlook.com