**Trustees’ Annual Report for the period: From 2nd Jan 2022 – To 1[st] Jan 2023** ## **Charity name: MERYC-England** ## **Charity registration number: 1169504** ## **Objectives and Activities** SORP referenc e Summary of the purposes of Para The objectives of the charity are to advance the 1.17 the charity as set out in its musical education of all children in England aged governing document 0 – 5 years. Summary of the main Para The three key areas of activity focus on: 1.17 and activities in relation to those 1.19 purposes for the public 1. Holding conferences and seminars benefit, in particular, the 2. Support for training in early childhood activities, projects or music education (ECME) services identified in the 3. Representation and communication accounts. **Activities 2022-23 1. Conferences and seminars:** The organisation has continued to provide online seminars this year that focus on research and practice in early childhood music education. We recognised that hosting these events online, an approach originally adopted out of necessity due to the COVID 19 pandemic, enables early childhood music educators and researchers to attend these events, regardless of geographical location. As a result, the charity has been able to ensure wider access to seminar events for public benefit for which our constitution was set up. The year’s activities continued the theme of ‘Hear & Be Heard’. This theme was selected by trustees in recognition that the longer-term impact of the COVID 19 pandemic, along with the emerging cost of living crisis, have impacted those working in early childhood music education. Challenges noted through anecdotal evidence provided by those working in the sector include lost income, needing to rebuild projects/participant groups post-pandemic, promoting and sustaining practice and research-based activity in the face of growing financial challenges for families, early education settings and funding bodies. Trustees are cognizant of the need for support and ongoing professional education for the workforce which is primarily freelance and therefore at a disadvantage in the current financial landscape. As in the previous year, trustees agreed to maintain the costs of our activities at a modest level both to assess the need we had perceived anecdotally and to be affordable for music education practitioners. Online seminars on the selected theme followed on from the November 2021 online ‘Hear and Be Heard’ conference and sought to offer participants opportunities to access presentations and discussions relating to common concerns and challenges in the Early Childhood Music Education (ECME) field, while also celebrating successes and exploring solutions. Between January 2022 and January 2023, we ran two online seminars as follows: March 2022: ‘Building Communities of Practice Post Pandemic’. June 2022: ‘Sing Our Stories: Personalised Song writing with Children & Families’. A free, in-person, one day meet up event was held in July 2022 at the Royal College of Music. This was hosted by trustees, was well attended and feedback from participants was wholly positive. Participants reported that the opportunity to reconnect in person to reflect upon and to share practice and research were highly appreciated and valued. Opportunities to engage in person are designed both to further the charities objectives while also encouraging participation in the online activity offered by the charity. As a direct result of the 2021 conference, the keynote speaker at that event, esteemed music therapy academic and practitioner Leslie Bunt collaborated with trustee Margareta Burrell to provide a longer-term course of mentoring/coaching sessions for those ECME practitioners/researchers who wished to develop specific aspects of their practice within a supportive framework. **2. Training** 2022-23 is the fifth year of operation for the Certificate in Music Education, which was initiated by MERYC England in partnership with the Centre for Research in Early Childhood (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 England, being
accountable to Trinity College, London. T
he
Course Director is Jane Parker who works with
Youth Music funded project, Take Art till Nov
2024, SoundWaves Network SW.
She maintains
the link with MERYC England through the role of
honorary trustee.
Dr Jessica Pitt and Dr Julia Partington, both
trustees of MERYC England acted as academic
supervisors of students on the Music pathway of
the MA in Early Childhood Education during the
reporting period, thus maintaining this partnership
and promoting the values and mission of the
charity at this academic level.
**3.**
**Representation and communication**
All MERYC England 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 the year 2022-23, we have continued to
develop 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.
All seminars and training or discussion
opportunities are promoted through Facebook and
Twitter as well as the website and CREC and
word of mouth.
PhD student:
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 the
London Arts and Humanities Partnership, LAHP.
This was successful and in March 2022 the
student, Maria Sanchez was appointed. The
recipient has been supported in this year by
MERYC England trustees, Ex-Chair, Dr Alison
Street acts as supervisor on behalf of MERYC| |---|---|---| **----- Start of picture text -----**
||| |---|---| |England, academic supervision provided by Dr| |Jessica Pitt and DR Mary Stakelum from RCM.| |This research study is proving to 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 archival| |evidence from the last 20 years of both MERYC| |England’s and EuNet MERYC’s activities. This| |research will feed into trustees’ objectives for the| |next three years and the student will present the| |ongoing work to the trustees at regular intervals| |from spring 2023.| |This doctoral study aims to strengthen MERYC| |England’s position and increase understanding of| |its contribution to the field of early childhood| |music in England. Furthermore, the establishment| |of a collaboration with Royal College of Music will| |be mutually beneficial for both organisations. As| |reported last year, it was envisaged that for RCM| |the collaboration 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. Initial reflections on| |this collaborative work indicate that these| |intended outcomes are already being successfully| |realised.| |Trustee links| |Dr Julia Partington: In September 2022, Julia took| |over from Dr Alison Street as Chair of Trustees for| |MERYC England. Prior to this, Julia had| |contributed to the planning of the MERYC| |England 2021 conference. Julia holds the role of| |Lecturer in Music Education at Newcastle| |University and her role here, along with her| |location as an ECME practitioner and researcher| |in the North East of England broadens the| |geographical representation of the Board of| |Trustees. Julia leads a number of undergraduate| |and postgraduate modules/student research| |projects that relate to ECME, music education and| |community music. She is also on the committee of| |Music HE a UK wide membership organisation| |that promotes and supports the study of music in| |higher education (including conservatoires).| |Through this connection, Julia is able to advocate| |for the importance of ECME research in Higher| |Education.| |Dr Jessica Pitt:| |Jessica sits on the advisory board| |for Talent25|raising the profile of MERYC| |England’s activity to social science researchers.| **----- End of picture text -----**
|||She is a commissioner for the early childhood
music education committee of ISME (International
Society of Music Education) and is a trustee of the
UK Community Music charity, Sound Sense. She
leads a number of modules at RCM for both
undergraduate and postgraduate students and is
deputy chair of the RCM’s Research Ethics
Committee.| |---|---|---| |Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para
1.18|All trustees familiarise themselves with the
‘Essential Trustee’ national guidance, have
reviewed the constitution of the CIO and regularly
explore in our meetings the applicability of
principles related to good governance, as defined
in the CGC.| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: ||
SORP
reference|| |---|---|---| |Policy on
grant
making|Para 1.38|One of our key objects is ‘promoting the integration of research,
theory and practice by organising and funding meetings for that
purpose’.This year, as last, we have continued to focus on
holding online seminars at a modest fee rather than issue
grants for practitioners to research or meet in person. This was
in response to the uncertain landscape relating to in person
events and travel following the pandemic related lockdowns of
coincided with the intermittent lockdown periods during the
pandemic. Our grant awarding policy will be reviewed in the
2023 financial reporting period.| |Policy on
social
investment
including
program
related
investment|Para 1.38|The charity aims to hold a music education conference
biennially, in alternate years to EuNet MERYC (next
conference, Barcelona July 2023). This regular conferencing
acts both as a means to maintain professional connectedness
and as a way of building revenue for the charity. We plan to
host an in-person conference in England, in the autumn of
2024.
The ongoing seminar series continues into 2023 with a theme of
‘Overcoming Challenges: Finding Solutions’, fulfilling the object
of promoting the importance to young lives and families of
research informed practice and research founded on quality
music making with young children.
.| |Contribution
made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|All MERYC England Trustees volunteer their time and energies.
Any expenses planned for activities, such as compiling material
for the website or organising conferences, are agreed in
advance and set to be in proportion to the task. Financial
management is under regular review at each Board meeting.
Trustees may co-opt participants to share the load as agreed in
advance by the Board.| |Other||| ## **Achievements and Performance** ||SORP
reference|| |---|---|---| |Summary of
the main
achievements
of the charity,
identifying the
difference the
charity’s work
has made to
the
circumstance
s of its
beneficiaries
and any wider
benefits to
society as a
whole.|Para 1.20|The key achievements this year have been:
**Conferencing/seminars**
The 2021 ‘Hear and be heard’ seminar and conference
series attracted music and early childhood practitioners who
were keen both to share their practice and to ask questions
related to materials, approaches, ways of conceptualising
music and creativity, so as better to serve families in their
communities. As outlined above, we continued this work
during 2022. The Research into practice seminars have
continued to be coordinated by Dr Jessica Pitt with masters
students at CREC to help them facilitate presentations
relating to their MA research findings.
The seminar series aimed to reach out to and to support
freelance music practitioners post pandemic during which
many have felt uncertain about their professional and
financial future. It has brought music practitioners and
researchers together and became regular events where both
groups felt they belonged and contributed. The emerging
network of regular attendees from across England is a
particular strength of this online meeting approach.
The charity trustees consider the online seminars a particular
success again this year. They were facilitated by trustees
who gave their time and expertise to host each one, to
organise the discussions and ensure an inclusive
environment. To this end the Board set up ground rules for
online activities to safeguard participants and facilitators.
Also of note was the success of the mentoring course in
terms of participants engaging with a longer term (6 weeks)
programme of activity. Additionally, the one day in person
meet up held at RCM was a success in the view of both
trustees and participants. We hope to be able to offer more
of these in a variety of regions/locations in future to maximise
participation throughout England.
**Training**
Although not directly responsible for the Certificate course,
Trustees remain supportive and as an advisory body should
it be needed. 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) plus Music HE.| ## **Additional information (optional)** You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: |
Achievements
against objectives
set|
Para
1.41|
In 2021 we set our objective to become more accessible to a
wider audience and this work has continued into 2022 and
will be a large part of our work in 2023. Continuing to develop
our website as a tool to promote the work of the organisation,
and to provide useful links to those working in the ECME
sector involved collaborative planning and ongoing work to
keep the content up to date and engaging for users, while
also promoting the events, grants, and resources we have to
offer.| |---|---|---| |Performance of
fundraising activities
against objectives
set|Para
1.41|Our fundraising objectives continued to be deliberately
modest in 2022, as we prioritised pricing our seminar
programme at competitive prices in the understanding that
many similar organisations were offering courses in the
sector free of charge, or at a very low cost.
Our priority was to continue to provide an attractive relevant
and affordable forum for practitioners and researchers to
develop their practice, research and professional networks.
Nevertheless, we succeeded in more than covering costs
and raised a total of £1150 through seminars and the online
mentoring course.
The numbers of participants in these activities and who
attended multiple sessions in the period under review gives
the charity confidence that the public service we are
providing has been welcomed within the sector and the focus
of our efforts and activities is relevant to a workforce hungry
for connection and professional development as we navigate
the landscape in our sector post-pandemic.| |Investment
performance against
objectives||N/A| |Other||| ## **Financial Review** |**Financial Review**||| |---|---|---| |Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|At the end of this period the Charity’s bank
account with the Co-operative Bank
showed a balance of £7422.53| |Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|The policy to hold a reserve is under
continuous review by the Board of Trustees
We keep this reserve to indicate prudent
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|£2000| |Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|N/A| |Details of fund materially in|Para 1.24|N/A| |deficit||| |---|---|---| |Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23|N/A| ## **Additional information (optional)** |**Additional information (optional)**|**Additional information (optional)**|**Additional information (optional)**| |---|---|---| |You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:||| |The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|Para 1.47|The principal source of revenue is from
CPD seminar fees and biannual conference
delegate fees.| |Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|N/A| |A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46|The principal risks are the capacity of
individual trustees to continue the activities
that generate funds. All are totally
committed to the purposes and aims and
the objectives. All are volunteers.| |Other||N/A| ## **Structure, Governance and Management** |Description of charity’s
trusts:||| |---|---|---| |Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|Constitution| |How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|Charitable Incorporated Organisation| |Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|Trustees are representative of a range of
practice and from different regions in
England. A balance is maintained between
researchers and practitioners, to ensure the
charity’s objectives are met, according to
the constitution document.| ## **Additional information (optional)** ## You may choose to include further statements where relevant about: ||Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction
and training of trustees|Para 1.51|All trustees are encouraged to familiarise
themselves with the Constitution, with the
Charity Commission guidelines for good
governance and with the principles of 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.| |---|---|---| |The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51|There are seven MERYC trustees, one
being an honorary position as director of
the Certificate course (see above), who is
herself Soundwaves Network Project
Leader active in Take Art, a regional
network in SW England. All 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, e.g. Youth Music, Music Mark and
Music Education Council.| |Relationship with any
related parties|Para 1.51|Our website and social media accounts
connect with regional and local music
education networks across England and
also with European and the international
music education network, ISME.| |Other||| ## **Reference and Administrative details** |Charity name|MERYC-England| |---|---| |Other name the charity uses|| |Registered charity number|1169504| |Charity’s principal address|Centre for Research in Early Childhood (CREC)
St Thomas Children’s Centre, Bell Barn Road, Attwood
Green, Birmingham, West Midlands, B15 2AF
Telephone: +44(0)121 464 0020| ||| ## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity** |1
2
3|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Dr Julia
Partington|Chair|Began as Trustee in
June 2022, took over as
Chair, September 2022 -
present|| ||Jane Parker|Honorary Trustee
Director CME:EC
SoundWaves
NetworkSW||| ||Margareta Burrell|Trustee||| |4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20|Prof Chris Pascal|Representing Centre
for Research in Early
Childhood(CREC||| |---|---|---|---|---| ||Dr Jessica Pitt|Trustee||| ||Barbara
Cavanagh,|Treasurer||| ||Stephen Grocott|Trustee||| ||Dr Alison Street|Chair|Retired and stood down
September, 2022|| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| |||||| ## – Corporate trustees names of the directors at the date the report was approved **Director name N/A** Name of trustees holding title to property belonging to the charity |**Trustee name**|**Dates acted if not for whole year**|| |---|---|---| |N/A||| |||| |||| |||| |||| |||| ## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others** |Description of the assets
held in this capacity|N/A| |---|---| |Name and objects of the
charity on whose behalf the
assets are held and how this
falls within the custodian
charity’s objects|N/A| Details of arrangements for N/A safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets ## **Additional information (optional)** ## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)** **Type of Name Address adviser Name of chief executive or names of senior staff 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** **----- Start of picture text -----**
B.Cavanagh
Signature(s)
Barbara Cavanagh
Full name(s) Dr Julia Partington
**----- End of picture text -----**
**Position (eg Secretary,** Chair of Trustees, MERYC Trustee and treasurer, MERYC **Chair, etc)** England England **Date** 18/10/23