Consultation: Inspiring Music's music centres, 2025

Inspiring Music’s music centres are currently facing two significant challenges which could affect its ability to continue operating successfully.

Declining membership

The table below shows membership of all 3 music centres since 2021, showing a decline in attendance. The majority of people who attend do so on a part-time basis, typically taking part in 1 or 2 of the 4 available sessions throughout the day, rather than the full programme.

Some of this decrease may be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, the music service successfully ran online sessions which attracted a large audience. One session attracted over 300 attendees, demonstrating a clear need for accessible music provision.

However, post-pandemic, the centres returned to in-person sessions and membership numbers have not fully recovered. Despite various efforts to sustain and boost membership, including with initiatives like open mornings, ‘bring a friend’ events, and social media campaigns, achieving sustained growth has been challenging.

Funding and costs

The centres are funded through a combination of Arts Council England grants, membership fees and grants from other organisations including Leighton-Linslade Town Council. Local charity Friends of Bedfordshire Youth Music provides support for families facing financial challenges, helping to cover membership fees.

Membership numbers have dropped (as detailed above) and fees have not significantly increased, remaining in line with inflation to keep sessions affordable. Funding from Arts Council England has not increased since 2016 and has not kept up with inflation, particularly for staff costs.

At the same time, the service has seen an increase in costs, particularly for staff, equipment and other costs associated with hosting the music centres.

These factors have led to an annual shortfall of almost £40,000. The following table shows the income and expenditure for each music centre for the 2023 to 2024 financial year.

Total loss across all 3 music centres: -£38,960.46.