Achievements and performance

The Trust’s seventh year of operation (6th April 2009 to 5th April 2010) was its last full one; at their meeting on 13th July 2010, the Trustees confirmed their long standing intention to wind up the Trust, and it closed formally on 30th November 2010. As previously reported, this was because the original money from Sheena Booth’s family had all been distributed, and although a respectable additional income was being generated through generous public donations, the Trust was never intended as a fundraising body and the Trustees felt that the outcome of a reduced scale of operation would not fully justify the effort involved.  Also, the Trustees felt that the overall achievements of the Trust (more fully reviewed in last year’s report) made this a fitting time close the Trust, while it was still carrying out significant work.

During its last 18 months, the Trust continued to fund the ColourStrings project at Cranbrook Primary School in the London Borough of Redbridge.  The project, which the Trust was responsible for instigating, has had the enthusiastic support of the staff at the school, of Eric Forder and his staff at the Redbridge Music Service, and the inspirational leadership of Karen MacKenzie of ColourStrings.   With their support, the project will continue after the Trust has closed, and may well extend to other schools in the borough.

Funding music lessons has increasingly been recognised as one of the most effective uses of Trust money, and we continued to support a number of pupils between the summer term of 2009 to the summer term of 2010; it represented over 40% of our grant money, by far the largest proportion.

We also gave grants to three of our longstanding partners - the Kaos signing choir which mixes deaf children with those with normal hearing using sign language, Rhythmically Speaking which conducts percussion based music sessions in schools and the Nonesuch Orchestra which which enthuses children in schools all over London.  We also bought a xylophone for a very severely disabled child; one of our Trustees continues to work with the child through her voluntary involvement in the charity Homestart.

We had some marvellous concerts, too.  Danielle Salamon gave a sole recital at Burgh House Hampstead, the third concert she has done for us, and once again sold out.  Clara Charlesworth and Anna Le Hair gave a lovely flute and piano recital at the Friends Meeting House in Welwyn, our very last fundraising event.  A memorable concert by a selection of our grant holders, past and present, celebrating the achievements of the Trust filled St Mary’s Church, South Woodford; its incredible energy and range of musical expressions would have delighted Sheena.

The next page lists our grant holders during the year, and shows the amounts of the grants made.