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Thursday, 5 June, 2025
Brass Bands England (BBE) recently appointed a new Safeguarding Manager, who will be delivering the next round of BandSafe training. Crucial, in-depth training, BandSafe is both ideal for your band’s Safeguarding Officer and a requirement for accessing the BBE BOPA (Body of Persons Approval).
The new BandSafe dates run right up to the end of the summer, making them the perfect companion for updating your band’s processes ahead of a packed season of performances. To book onto one, visit the events section of the BBE website.
In new hands
Neil Roberts joins the BBE team as the new Safeguarding Manager, bringing with him a passion for protecting the safety and wellbeing of children, as well as vulnerable adults, within the arts sector.
He previously worked as a practitioner for a local authority, providing safeguarding training and advice to bands, competitions, schools, film and television productions, and performance organisations across the area. His role covered safeguarding and performance licensing.
Before that Neil was a primary school teacher, following several years working as a journalist for the Daily Mirror. A big fan of summer music festivals, Neil is happiest in a damp field with a pint of beer, listening to a revived Nineties band struggling through a set they should have long forgotten.
Although not a brass player when he came to BBE, Neil soon joined a local band and is getting to grips with a tenor horn.
On his appointment, Neil said: "Brass banding is a really important part of our heritage. I'm looking forward to making it as easy as possible for bands to welcome the next generation of players into a safe and supportive environment."
Book onto BandSafe training now