## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
**From 2nd Jan 2021 Period start date To 1[st] Jan 2022 Period end date**
## **Charity name: MERYC-England**
## **Charity registration number: 1169504**
## **Objectives and Activities**
SORP referenc e Summary of the Para The objectives of the charity are to advance 1.17 purposes of the charity the musical education of all children in as set out in its England aged 0 – 5 years. governing document Summary of the main Para The three key areas of activity focus on: 1.17 activities in relation to and 1. Holding conferences and seminars those purposes for the 1.19 2. Support for training in early public benefit, in childhood music education (ECME) particular, the activities, 3. Representation and communication projects or services identified in the **Activities 2021-22** accounts. **1. Conferences and seminars:** The ongoing effect of COVID 19 pandemic has caused the organisation to adapt to online activities in order to maintain those functions for public benefit for which our constitution was set up. The year’s activities were centered around the over all heading ‘Hear and be heard’. This became the focus for all on line activities, as trustees and colleagues across the field of ECME grew increasingly aware of the need for support and ongoing professional education for the workforce which is primarily freelance and therefore at a disadvantage through lost income and work during the pandemic. It had also been decided by trustees to maintain the costs of our activities at a modest level both in order to assess the need we had perceived anecdotally and to be affordable for music education practitioners. The one-day conference on 21 November attracted 42 participants from across the
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country. It also acted as a showcase for
practice in the Newcastle area, particularly
with disadvantaged families, and as an
opportunity to focus on musicianship, song
writing, and particularly on the links with
music therapy discipline through the
keynote presentation by Prof Leslie Bunt.
The second keynote highlighted the
opportunity and need for practitioner
research as a meaningful pursuit for music
educators, promoted by CREC professor Dr
Chris Pascal.
In anticipation of the Hear and be heard
November conference MERYC England built
up an audience for on line seminars during
2021 under the same heading. We ran four
on line seminars as follows:
Jan 21: Research into practice 1: all about
parents
March 21: Research into practice 2: Musical
play matters
June 21: How does research meet practice
in Early childhood music?
Oct 21: Loud and Clear: Family music
making: social pedagogy in action (focusing
on the north east).
2. Training
2021-22 is the fourth year of operation for
the Certificate in Music Education, which
was initiated by MERYC in partnership with
CREC in 2017. This trains practitioners to
level 4. It was set up to fulfil two objects as
set out in the charity’s 5 year strategic
development plan 2017-22, namely:
-attempting to increase the quantity and
quality of research that will inform early
childhood musical experience by supporting
research initiatives of all kinds;
- attempting to raise the quality of practice
in early childhood music by encouraging
evidence-based practice, critical reflection
and the adoption of principles of social
justice;
The day to day running of the certificate
course runs independently of MERYC, being
accountable to Trinity College, London. The
Course Director Zoe Greenhalgh resigned
this year, being succeeded by one of her
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deputies, Jane Parker who works with Youth
Music funded project, Take Art till Nov 2024,
SoundWaves Network SW. She maintains
the link with the organisation through the
role of honorary trustee. Meanwhile Zoe
Greenhalgh resigned her role as honorary
trustee.
Dr Jessica Pitt oversees the MA in Early
Childhood Music under the auspices of
CREC, thus maintaining this partnership and
promoting the values and mission of the
charity at this academic level.
All courses at both levels have continued to
run virtually because of the COVID
pandemic since March 2020.
3. Representation and
communication
All MERYC trustees are affiliated within a
range of music education organisations or
work as advisors to such organisations as
Youth Music and Music Mark and have been
responsible for research papers,
presentations and books and publications
on music learning. The CIO itself has a
corporate membership of the Music
Education Council (MEC).
In Spring 2021 we overhauled the MERYC
England website, in line with our
communications strategy, with the aim of
making our objects aims and activities
clearer and more accessible. In addition this
sets out our links with other organisations
and achievements of practitioners and
researchers as presented at local, national
and European contexts. Trustees Barbara
Cavanagh and Stephen Grocott were
instrumental in liaising with the website
designer on the new content and appeal. All
seminars and training or discussion
opportunities are promoted through
Facebook and Twitter as well as the website
and CREC and word of mouth.
In line with our key aim; to foster
collaboration between music educators and
researchers, and in order to strengthen this
foundational link, in 2021 Dr Jessica Pitt and
Dr Alison Street submitted a bid for funding
a PhD student under the London Arts and
Humanities Partnership. This was
successful, securing funding from Autumn
2022 for partnership work between MERYC
England and the Royal College of Music.
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This collaborative Doctoral award will focus
on diversity in music making in early
childhood, exploring inclusive research and
practice.
It is envisaged that this doctoral study will
strengthen MERYC England’s position and
increase understanding of its contribution to the
field of early childhood music in England.
Establishing a collaboration with Royal College
of Music will be mutually beneficial for both
organisations. For RCM it demonstrates the ways
that the contemporary conservatoire reaches
beyond its traditional audience seeking to be
relevant to wider society and for MERYC England
it offers the organisation a platform for
developing connections into the music and
music education sectors which will raise the
profile of early childhood as an important life
stage deserving of quality musical experiences.
In her role as Co-Director of the early years arts
organisation Magic Acorns she promotes the
work of MERYC England to emerging early
childhood artists and early childhood educators.
A recent Magic Acorns project in collaboration
with Anglia Ruskin University and the College of
West Anglia provided an opportunity to promote
MERYC England’s activity to BA early childhood
studies students. Jessica sits on the advisory
board for Talent25 raising the profile of MERYC
England’s activity to social science researchers.
Jessica has spoken at:
Incorporated Society of Musicians’ (ISM) Annual
Conference
ISM Teachmeet session for Early Years
Royal Northern College of Music – doctoral
student seminar and Research Forum
She leads a number of modules at RCM for both
undergraduate and postgraduate students, also
giving guest lectures about early childhood
music for modules on instrumental vocal
teaching; composition; and creative workshop
practice.
Steve Grocott has delivered workshops for
Early Education, Wandle Teaching School
Alliance
International School of Toulouse
F.E.M.D.L. Colegio Ntra. sra. del Pilar, Madrid
London Borough of Brent
National Education Union.
This offers opportunties to highlight the
work of MERYC and direct practitoners and
advisors to the conference and relevant
seminars.
Statement confirming Para All trustees familiarise themselves with the
1.18
whether the trustees ‘Essential Trustee’ national guidance, have
have had regard to the reviewed the constitution of the CIO and
guidance issued by the regularly explore in our meetings the
Charity Commission on applicability of principles related to good
public benefit governance, as defined in the CGC.
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## **Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
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SORP
reference
One of our key objects is ‘ promoting the integration of
Para 1.38 research, theory and practice by organising and funding
Policy on meetings for that purpose’. This year we have therefore
grant focused on holding on line seminars at a modest fee
making rather than issue grants for practitioners to research or
meet. This coincided with the intermittent lockdown
periods during the pandemic which prevented the
encouragement of in person gatherings. Our grant
awarding policy is due for review in 2022.
Para 1.38 The charity aims to hold a music education conference
Policy on biennially, in alternate years to EuNet MERYC. This
social regular conferencing acts both as a means to maintain
investmen professional connectedness and as a way of building
t including revenue for the charity.
program The ongoing seminar series continues into 2022,
related fulfilling the object of promoting the importance to
investmen young lives and families of research informed practice
t and research founded on quality music making with
young children.
.
All MERYC Trustees volunteer their time and energies.
Para 1.38 Any expenses planned for activities, such as compiling
Contributi material for the website or organising conferences, are
on made agreed in advance and set to be in proportion to the
by task. Financial management is under regular review at
volunteers each Board meeting. Trustees may co-opt participants
to share the load as agreed in advance by the Board.
Other
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## **Achievements and Performance**
SORP reference
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The key achievements this year have been:
Summary of Conferencing/seminars
Para 1.20
the main ‘Hear and be heard’ seminar and conference series
achievemen attracted music and early childhood practitioners
ts of the who were keen both to share their practice and to
charity, ask questions related to materials, approaches, ways
identifying of conceptualising music and creativity, so as better
the to serve families in their communities. The Research
difference into practice seminars were coordinated by Dr Jessica
the charity’s Pitt who worked with masters students at CREC to
work has help them facilitate presentations on the vital role
made to the parents can play and in the way practitioners work in
circumstanc partnership with families.
es of its Comments in the feedback from participants to the
beneficiarie question ‘What does ‘research ‘ mean to you? In the
s and any June seminar included the following:
wider ‘Learning from others’
benefits to ’challenging assumptions’
society as a ‘looking, listening, learning, thinking, reflecting’
whole.
And to the question ‘What WILL you do?
I will…
‘unpack the barriers I put on myself’
‘Think of ways to creatively disseminate my research
on children’s musical play in the outdoors’
‘Think differently about what research is’
These perceptive comments clearly indicate the
benefits felt by participants in reflecting on their
perceptions of the dynamic links between music
research and practice, and the mutual balance in
each.
In March 21 the seminar on why musical play matters
in early childhood was presented by Sophie Fox from
Magic Acorns, Kate Comberti and Alison Harmer. This
focused on wordless musicking, on how musical play
values the sensori-motor perceptions in children,
explored aesthetics and affect while making
articulate the significance of non verbal
expressiveness and communication with others.
Where young children’s early creative communication
is valued through interactions, this forms a stronger
foundation for more sophisticated communication
skills; a point relevant to practitioners supporting
families as they emerge from isolation through lock
down.
The presentation was made accessible to a wider
audience through the MERYC England website at
https://www.merycengland.co.uk.
The seminar series aimed to reach out to freelance
music practitioners during the pandemic during
which many have felt isolated and undervalued. It
brought music practitioners and researchers together
and became regular events where both groups felt
they belonged and contributed.
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The charity trustees consider the seminar series a particular success this year. It was run by trustees who gave their time and expertise to facilitate each one, to organise the discussions and ensure an inclusive environment. To this end the Board set up ground rules for on line activities in order to safeguard participants and facilitators. The November conference ‘Hear and be heard’ held on line made such an impact particularly through the presentation and emerging discussion with Prof Leslie Bunt, that he has been invited to run, with trustee Margareta Burrell, a series of four evening seminars focused on supportively mentoring others, entitled ‘Listen and connect’ in May/June 22. This course has already filled, suggesting there is a need for ways to support fellow professionals as face to face contact becomes more normal in a post pandemic world. **Training** Although not directly responsible for the Certificate course, Trustees remain supportive and as an advisory body should it be needed. By October 2021 28 students had submitted their portfolios and passed (an increase of 14 from last year). In terms of assessment, the following feedback on how students were mentored indicates a high quality of care: From the internal quality assurer; _The portfolios provide strong evidence of detailed and constructive feedback which affirms student skills and achievements but also provides critical suggestions for further development. The positive relationship developed between mentors and students is clearly evident and I am sure contributes to the achievements of the students and the high levels of successful course completion._ The new director Jane Parker reports regularly to trustees on the progress and development of the course. **Representation and communication** Individual trustees continued to represent the charity through different platforms this year, particularly through Music Mark and Music Education Council (MEC).
## **Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
2021 was the year we set our objective to become more accessible to a wider audience. Our new look Achievements Par website involved collaborative planning, reflecting against objectives a and reviewing our aims, objectives and priorities, 1.4 set 1 collecting previous and recent feedback and evidence from conferences and grant holders, practitioners and researchers over the last 20 years, and considering our key messages to communicate the
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charity’s objects as clearly as possible.
Trustee and lecturer Dr Jessica Pitt at the Royal
College of Music (RCM) led on the proposal for a
collaborative fully funded doctoral award from LAHP.
This was successful. In March 2022 the student was
appointed. The recipient will be supported by MERYC
trustees and will be instrumental in supporting a
range of administrative tasks in relation to our
activities, including compiling research blogs, and
researching links between theory and practice as
catalogued in the evidence from the last 20 years of
MERYC activities. This research will feed into trustees’
objectives for the next three years.
Our fundraising objectives were modest in 2021, as
we prioritised pricing our seminar and conference
Performance of programme at competitive prices in the
fundraising Par understanding that many similar organisations were
a
activities against 1.4 having to be agile on line and could offer courses free
objectives set 1 of charge. Our priority was to provide an attractive
relevant and affordable forum for practitioners and
researchers. Nevertheless, we succeeded in more
than covering costs and raised a total of £2652
This represents an increase over last year of over
600%. The charity has grown increasingly confident
that the public service we are providing has been
welcomed and the focus of our efforts and activities
is relevant to a workforce hungry for connection and
professional development as we have emerged from
lockdown in the pandemic.
Investment Par
performance a
1.4
against objectives 1
Other
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## **Financial Review**
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Review of the charity’s Para 1.21 At the end of this period the Charity’s
financial position at the bank account with the Co-operative
end of the period Bank shows a balance of £7,041
Statement explaining Para 1.22 The policy to hold a reserve is
the policy for holding currently due for review (2022).We
reserves stating why keep this reserve to indicate prudent
they are held financial management against risk of
activities failing to meet costs, and to
ensure there is a balance in the
account, when applying for grants.
Amount of reserves held Para 1.22 £2,000.
Reasons for holding zero Para 1.22
reserves
Details of fund materially Para 1.24
in deficit
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Explanation of any Para 1.23 uncertainties about the charity continuing as a going concern
## **Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
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The principal source of revenue is
from delegate conference and CPD
The charity’s principal seminar fees.
sources of funds Para 1.47
(including any
fundraising)
Investment policy and
objectives including any Para 1.46
social investment policy
adopted
The principal risks are the capacity of
individual trustees to continue the
A description of the Para 1.46 activities that generate funds. All are
principal risks facing the totally committed to the purposes and
charity aims and the objectives. All are
volunteers.
Other
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## **Structure, Governance and Management**
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Description of charity’s
trusts:
Type of governing Para 1.25 Constitution
document
(trust deed, royal
charter)
How is the charity Para 1.25 Charitable Incorporated Organisation
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)
Trustee selection Para 1.25 Trustees are representative of a range
methods including of practice and from different regions
details of any in England. A balance is maintained
constitutional provisions between researchers and
e.g. election to post or practitioners, to ensure the charity’s
name of any person or objectives are met, according to the
body entitled to appoint constitution document.
one or more trustees
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## **Additional information (optional)**
You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
All trustees are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the
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Policies and procedures Constitution, with the Charity
Para 1.51
adopted for the Commission guidelines for good
induction and training of governance and with the principles of
trustees the CGC. Principles are reviewed
regularly in the light of current
projects and activities.
All trustees have been DBS checked.
MERYC England adheres to the
policies held by CREC in safeguarding
and in equality, diversity and
inclusion. In the year 2021-22 we
established agreed guidelines for
online video conferencing and
initiated a privacy statement.
There are seven MERYC trustees, one
being an honorary position as director
The charity’s of the Certificate course (see above),
organisational structure Para 1.51 who is herself Soundwaves Network
and any wider network Project Leader active in Take Art, a
with which the charity regional network in SW England. All
works Trustees act in a voluntary capacity,
with expenses agreed in advance
where applicable, eg for specific tasks
relating to conference and seminar
administration and facilitation. They
regularly represent MERYC on a range
of bodies, eg Youth Music, Music Mark
and Music Education Council.
Our website and social media
accounts connect with regional and
Relationship with any Para 1.51 local music education networks across
related parties England and also with European and
the international music education
network, ISME.
Other
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## **Reference and Administrative details**
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Charity name MERYC-England
Other name the charity
uses
Registered charity 1169504
number
Charity’s principal Centre for Research in Early Childhood (CREC)
address
St Thomas Children’s Centre, Bell Barn Road, Attwood
Green, Birmingham, West Midlands, B15 2AF
Telephone: +44(0)121 464 0020
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## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
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Name of person (or body)
Dates acted if not for
Trustee name Office (if any) entitled to appoint trustee
whole year
(if any)
1 Dr Alison Street Chair
Jane Parker Honorary Trustee From October 2021
Director CME:EC
2
SoundWaves
NetworkSW
Margareta
3
Burrell
Prof Chris Representing
Centre for
4 Pascal
Research in Early
Childhood (CREC
5 Dr Jessica Pitt
Barbara Treasurer
6
Cavanagh,
Stephen
7
Grocott
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
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Corporate trustees – names of the directors at the date the report was approved **Director name**
Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity
**Trustee name Dates acted if not for whole year** Description of the assets held in this capacity Name and objects of the charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**
## **Additional information (optional)**
## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**
|**Additional information (optional)**
**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Additional information (optional)**
**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|**Additional information (optional)**
**Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**|
|---|---|---|
|**Type of**
**adviser**
**Name**
**Address**|||
|Finance|Sean Delaney|CREC (as above)|
||||
||||
||||
|**Name of chief executive or names of senior staf members (Optional**
**information)**|||
## **Exemptions from disclosure**
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
## **Other optional information**
## **Declarations**
**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**
**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees**
**Signature(s)** Barbara Cavanagh **Full name(s)** Dr Alison M Street **Position (eg** Chair MERYC England Trustee and treasurer MERYC **Secretary, Chair, etc)** England
**Date** 06 June 2022
**MERYC England 1169504**
## **Receipts and payments accounts For the period** Period start date **To from**
Period start date Period end date **To** 1-Jan-21 1-Jan-22
## **Section A Receipts and payments**
**Unrestricted Restricted Endowment funds funds funds**
## **Total funds**
**to the nearest £**
**to the nearest £**
**to the nearest £ to the nearest £**
## **A1 Receipts**
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Seminar Series 1,578 - - 1,578
Conference 1,074 - - 1,074
Donation 1,000 - 1,000
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
3,652 - - 3,652
Sub total (Gross income for AR)
A2 Asset and investment sales,
(see table).
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total - - - -
Total receipts 3,652 - - 3,652
A3 Payments
Seminar Series 654 - - 654
Conference 200 - - 200
Website 931 - - 931
Corporate membership MEC 150 - - 150
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total [ 1,935 ] - - 1,935
A4 Asset and investment
purchases, (see table)
- - - -
- - - -
Sub total [ - ] - - -
Total payments 1,935 - - 1,935
Net of receipts/(payments) 1,717 - - 1,717
A5 Transfers between funds - - - -
A6 Cash funds last year end 5,324 - - 5,324
Cash funds this year end 7,041 - - 7,041
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## **Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**
||||**Unrestricted**||**Restricted**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Categories**|**Details**||**funds**||**funds**|
|**B1 Cash funds**||**_Total cash funds_**|**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**7,041**|
|**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|
||(agree|balances with receipts and payments
account(s))|OK|OK||
||||**Unrestricted**||**Restricted**|
||||**funds**||**funds**|
|**B2 Other monetary assets**|**Details**||**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|
|**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|
|**B3 Investment assets**|**Details**||**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**|**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**||
|**B4 Assets retained for the**|**Details**||**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**|**Cost (optional)**
**-**||
|**charity’s own use**||||
|**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|
|**B5 Liabilities**|**Details**||**Fund to which**
**liability relates**|
|**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**|
|Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees||Signature|Print|Name||
||||Alison|Street||
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CC16a
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## **Last year**
**to the nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
## **Endowment funds**
**to nearest £ - - - -**
OK
**Endowment funds to nearest £ - - - - - - Current value (optional) - - - - - Current value (optional)**
**When due (optional)**
Date of approval 14-Jun-22