Band governance

What are the essential need-to-knows when governing a charity?

A keynote from the 2020 Brass Band Conference from Amersham Band's Chairman, Fred Harrison.

Hear from Fred Harrison about how they built their own bandroom and grew the organisation to nine bands.

A brass band does not need to be a registered charity. When considering if charitable status is something your band should obtain, it is worth weighing up the pros and cons for your band. For example, you might be able access to new funding opportunities only available to organisations with charitable status, however, if the administrative burden is greater than you could manage it would be worth considering if this is right for you. We recommend that proper time, research and consideration is taken when making a decision about charitable status.

To be effective, a committee needs clear roles, duties/responsibilities and leadership.  Committees can be organised in a number of different ways depending on the size of your organisation, but it is advisable for every band to have someone appointed – at least - to the following roles (the Executive Committee). The majority of our member bands are run by a committee - a group of committed people who care about their band and take responsibility for making things happen.