Music charity gets grant from Oswestry Town Council

Councillors agreed funding of £1,500 for the Music in Oswestry and the Borders group at a recent meeting.

The Music MOB charity began giving lessons to children at Holy Trinity Primary School in October with the children learning guitar, violin, drums, cello and singing.

Sian Tasker, from Music MOB, said: "Bryn Offa Primary School, Pant, joined shortly after and six children are learning various woodwind instruments. All reports from the school indicate a very high level of engagement, commitment and, most importantly, enjoyment."

She said a generous award from the Mary Hignett Bequest Fund had enabled the charity to offer tuition to children in a third school and the group was demonstrating a variety of instruments and planned to teach a further 24 children from February.

"All this tuition, the equipment and loan of the instruments is absolutely free to the children, their parents and the schools," she said.

During the Covid lockdowns, the charity ran a campaign inviting people who may have instruments they no longer had a use for to donate them to Music MOB.

"We were fortunate to receive a large number of instruments including violins, clarinets, flutes, recorders, cellos, guitars and even three drum kits.

"At the same time applications were made for financial support and, again, we were delighted to receive donations from a number of sources, without which the charity would be unable to offer its services to local children this year."

Music Mob also has plans for fundraising events in the next six months including a pub quiz at the Bailey Head, a recital concert featuring local professional musicians, a major launch concert featuring the Porthywaen Silver Bands, the Orthopaedic Male Voice Choir, amongst other musicians, and a Fun Day in Cae Glas Park.

"If anyone would like information about Music MOB’s events and activities, there is a form on the charity’s Facebook page and website, musicmob.co.ukm to sign up to receive a newsletter.