Youngsters from the Scottish island of Arran have become the latest recipients of a start-up kit from the Scottish Brass Band Association (SBBA) to help form a brand new youth band.

Funding boost

The funding boost of £2,500 saw their new community youth outfit, consisting of primary school pupils from across the island, receive 16 new brass instruments and a drum kit to help get the project up and running ahead of their first rehearsals at the local High School

Delight

SBBA Education Officer, John Boax (above) told 4BR: "It was a delight to travel to Arran to deliver the instruments. The benefits of playing a brass instrument are wide-reaching and have a tremendous impact on a young person's musical and social development.

We would like to wish the new youth band all the very best and look forward to welcoming it to SBBA events in the years to come.

Hopefully this is the first of many more new youth bands in our commitment to developing young players of the future."

Contact

The Arran project successfully received funding following contact made by May Murray, a Music Service Co-ordinator at North Ayrshire Council, and David Lambert, Deputy Head teacher at Arran High School.

Mr Lambert added: "This project is very exciting and will make a real difference to our young people.

The SBBA start-up kit has allowed us to purchase instruments which mean we can now start work and begin what I am sure will be a lifetime of music making."

We would like to wish the new youth band all the very best and look forward to welcoming it to SBBA events in the years to comeSBBA Education Officer, John Boax

Available

SBBA start-up kits are open to anyone looking to set up a new youth band which is not affiliated with an existing organisation.

Anyone looking to apply or find out more information should email Tom Allan, of the SBBA executive: TomAllan@sbba.org.uk