Objectives and Activities of the Trust

The Trust was set up in memory of Sheena Booth, an East London music teacher who died in December 2002. The purpose of the Trust is to continue Sheena's work of furthering the musical development of children and young people.  It is a grantmaking charity which concentrates its main energies on distributing the capital and income at its disposal.  Fund raising events are also undertaken, but this is a secondary activity, and since the events are all musical in nature, these events also further the Trust’s objectives directly.   The Trustees actively monitor and, where possible and appropriate, assist the projects the Trust supports.  Most of the projects supported are in North and East London.  This is for a number of reasons: - to reflect the area where Sheena worked, to enable the Trustees more easily to monitor the projects, and to limit the geographical extent of activities of this relatively small charity.

The Trustees have established the following general guidelines for allocating grant money.

1) The Trust's work will predominantly be directed to musical education as part of a general education, rather than for training or encouraging young professionals for a career in music. All levels of skill and ability will be included in the Trust's remit, with no particular ability range being favoured.

2) No particular musical instrument should be favoured; on the contrary, as wide a possible a range of instruments and musical styles should be encouraged.

3) Development of listening as well as playing skills will be included in the Trust's remit.

4) The Trust will seek to encourage group musical activities, for example in choirs, chamber music groups and orchestras, as well as solo playing skills.

5) When prioritising grants, preference will be given to causes where there is most need and where other sources of assistance are not available.

6) The majority of grants are likely to go to school age children, with support to causes for young people in their twenties forming a lower percentage of the grant money allocated.

7) Preference will be given to grants for projects in the area in which Sheena Booth worked (i.e. Redbridge and surrounding London boroughs) although applications from other areas will be considered.

8) The Trustees will aim over time broadly to reflect the balance of interests set out in these guidelines.

The Trustees have decided to support five general classes of projects, as follows.

1) Grants to the Music Services of the London Boroughs of Redbridge and Haringey, for a specific single project in each borough.

2) Direct support to schools for various music-related programmes.

3) Provision of musical experiences for children in hospitals and hospices, in conjunction with the Guildhall School of Music.

4) Provision of musical opportunities for children with special needs.

5) Grants for private music lessons in cases where they would otherwise be hard to afford.