John McDonnell MP and the All Party Parliamentary Group for Brass Banding (APPG) has written to government Education Minister, Lucy Powell MP outlining their concerns that the Department for Education (DfE) will end Brass Bands England's (BBE) widely acclaimed BOPA (Body of Persons Approval) scheme in April 2027.

Gold standard

The approach was highlighted in a recent article the MP for Hayes & Harlington (above), who was the former Labour Party Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer and is a keen amateur trombonist, wrote for the on-line 'Arts Professional' magazine.

In it he argued that the decision to end BBE's "gold-standard safeguarding framework and the sector-specialist knowledge that comes with it", will see brass bands faced with "a cliff-edge reversion to an acknowledged unsuitable alternative" come April next year.

As an example of the importance of BBE's (BOPA) in England since 2019, he pointed to the success of the National Youth Brass Band Championships (above) and other events, where bands no longer have to apply to local authorities for Child Performance exemptions on an individual basis with at least 21 days notice.

In addition, he added that BBE 'BandSafe' 'took-kit' also ensured that training is given through an accreditation framework and compliance inspections.

Very real consequences

Losing that through the decision from the DfE he said, could have "very real consequences" with local authorities "inundated by an influx of license applications".

He stated that since March this year, 161 different organisations had made use of BBE's BOPA, with over 31,000 children licensed across 169 different local authorities.

This he added would lead to "an administrative nightmare" for bands — with a recent survey finding that 96% of BBE member bands indicated that the loss of the BBE BOPA would create additional work for volunteers, with 87% saying complications could make them less likely to involve children in performances.

he felt that the loss of the BBE BOPA scheme — "acknowledged as a sector trailblazer" — could see "thousands of children" lose out4BR

Sector trailblazer

Whilst John McDonnell acknowledged that the government had recognised that Child Performance Licensing regulations had to be reviewed, he felt that the loss of the BBE BOPA scheme — "acknowledged as a sector trailblazer" — could see "thousands of children" lose out.

"BBE is on the frontline here," he said, "but it is the vitality of the entire cultural ecology that is at risk."

Rally around

He ended by saying that "the professional arts sector should rally round brass bands in their struggles with the DfE, because of, not despite, their amateur roots.

If not, we will quickly come to a point where there are no National Youth Championships; no Matilda Lloyd or Peter Moore for Richard Morrison to write about; no Hannah Peel to play contemporary band recordings on national radio; and no Black Dyke to perform to a packed Royal Albert Hall."