New trustees to join education charity

A school head teacher, the chair of an influential think-tank group, and a senior policy advisor to Defra, have been appointed as trustees at Services For Education, the Birmingham-based charity that brings music and learning to life.

The three new trustees join seven others at the award-winning charity which employs 250 staff, teaches music to 32,000 children a week in Birmingham and delivers professional development and school improvement for teaching and support staff - as well as creating and delivering several innovative programmes to improve the lives and lifestyles of adults and children.

The three new trustees include Jamie Barry, head teacher of Yew Tree Primary School in Walsall, Dr Peter Borg-Bartolo, chair of The Lunar Society, the Birmingham-based think-tank and former GP, and Dr Jory Debenham (pictured), a committed instrumental teacher and assessor - as well as being senior policy advisor for Defra - The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Services For Education chief executive Sharon Bell, said the three new trustees would play an important role in supporting the development of the charity which has significantly increased its work supporting schools and communities.

She said: “We have a commitment to Birmingham and the West Midlands and further afield by fostering a love of learning and the arts, providing inspirational and innovative learning to improve educational attainment and wellbeing - particularly for disadvantaged groups - as well as improve life opportunities for everyone by connecting healthy living, education, and lifelong learning.

“Our board of trustees now better reflects the skills and contacts we need as a charity in order to support the city-region and I look forward to working with them. ”

Services For Education has an annual income of around £7m and is supported by The Arts Council, charitable donations and its commercial operations.