Council chiefs have accepted grant funding for a music hub.

A report on the Liverpool City Region and Warrington music hub funding agreement for 2024-25 – grant funding acceptance – came before St Helens Council’s cabinet at its meeting last week.

It related to the outcome of the successful bid for funding from the Department of Education, for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Merseyside and Warrington music hub.

As recommended, the cabinet accepted the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority grant funding of £641,252 for the leadership and management of St Helens, Warrington and Halton music education provision – and delegated authority to the director of children’s services, in consultation with the monitoring officer and Section 151 officer, to ‘execute respective grant funding agreements’ with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and partnership agreement with Halton and Warrington local authorities.

According to the report, in April 2024 the Arts Council England awarded the new contract for a larger strategic music hub to the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to cover Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, Knowsley, Halton and Warrington local authority areas.

“The successful bid for funding from the Department of Education for the Merseyside with Warrington music hub was instigated by a consortium of service leaders from St Helens, Knowsley, and Sefton local authorities together with officers at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority,” it added.

“St Helens played a leading role in the development of the bid, much of which reflects the successful model which was already in place in the borough.

“Funding for this new strategic hub will be provided through the combining of the previous individual hub grants into a single allocation that will be passed on to music services and other delivery partners by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

“Funding has been approved for 12 months initially and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has appointed to a number of temporary roles to lead the establishment of the new hub and work with local delivery partners to agree delivery arrangements and funding in each local authority area.

“St Helens Music Service will cease to operate as a music education hub reporting directly to the Arts Council but will continue to function as delivery partner to the new hub.

“The hub lead organisation development plan outlines new management
arrangements at a local level with St Helens Council assuming the responsibility for the management and leadership of music education for St Helens, Warrington and Halton local authority areas, and the management of the music hub grant for the three local authority areas.

“This is in recognition of an effective and successful model for music education, with a positive reputation with the Arts Council for the depth, quality and creativity of the provision for our children and young people in St Helens.”