BMM has worked hard to identify local charities and musical organisations that could benefit from the funds we raise. Many members enjoy singing and together with others support the concerts and musical events we organise in Barton Village Hall. Any profit from all the events is pooled and distributed to our charities.
We have extended our giving by developing a bursary scheme for village students. Bursaries and funds are given to all the schools in Barton under Needwood to ensure the love of music continues through the generations. Visit Bursary Scheme for details.
Pronounced 'oh-me’, the OHMI Trust is a UK-based charity pioneering the development and adaptation of musical instruments for those who are physically disabled. Any deficiency or disability in one hand or arm makes traditional instruments unplayable to any reasonable standard. As a result, millions across the world are excluded from music-making for the lack of suitable instruments. This includes people with congenital disabilities such as cerebral palsy and hemiplegia, amputees, those who have suffered a stroke or developed arthritis.
The organisation was established in 2011 by Dr Stephen Hetherington, who began his career as an orchestral musician. It was Stephen’s own hemiplegic daughter, Amy, who alerted him to the lack of instruments available to disabled musicians.
The OHMI Trust’s objectives are to remove the barriers to music making faced by physically disabled people, and to enable undifferentiated participation in musical life, whether at school, in the home or in a professional ensemble.
On 11 October 2018 at the AGM Rachel Wolffsohn, General Manager of OHMI was pleased to receive a cheque for the value of £2588.91 as our donation to the charity for 2017-18 and extremely delighted to be told that BMM had decided to continue our support into 2018-19. As our fundraising has continued with great pace at the 2019 AGM on 17 October we were able to donate a further £1161.44 to cover the cost of 12 especially commissioned 3D printed one handed recorders.
We were thrilled that a young musician from Birmingham Samiya Ahmed entertained us at our Summer Concert on 13 July, by playing one of the recorders.
In 2019/20 a further donation of £1006.69 was given to purchase 4 brass instrument floor stands (with bags) and 2 artiphons.
On 14th December 2019 we held our Christmas Concert “Music and song at Christmas”, when we welcomed Cian Boyd who performed on his adapted trumpet.
In 2021 £1061.16 was donated to purchase adapted bagpipe chanters.
Their letter of thanks can be seen by clicking this link.