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Manvinder Rattan introduces the Voices Foundation, and how you can support its work to help children find their voices and become adult choir members of the future.
The Voices Foundation believes that every child should have access to a high-quality music education. We aim to transform in-school music learning so that all children have access to a high-quality music education that enables them to find their voice. For nearly 30 years, we have worked hard to get children singing by training teachers to confidently lead singing in the classroom to create whole-school singing communities. And it works - we are currently partnered with 200 education organisations – training 1,400 teachers and impacting 45,000 children.
“The impact that Voices Foundation has had at our school is profound. A culture of high-quality singing is now at the heart of [the school] from the classroom to the playground, even the dining hall.” – Senior School Leader
However, severe budget cuts are now making it impossible for many schools to offer Voices programmes to their pupils. There are dozens of schools and hundreds of children who will not experience any music education in the year ahead. Among these children are future choir members who are not receiving the musical training they need.
We invite you to take part in our fundraising initiative, Choral Futures, and support a school that would otherwise not be able to offer singing to its pupils. How you choose to raise the funds is up to you. You may choose to organise a fundraiser within your group or hold a fundraising concert or two. We can also help you with ideas. We look forward to sharing with you the transformative stories you have made possible – and how you have helped children find their voices. By supporting the foundations offered by a Voices programme, you can invest in the choral vitality of our country.
More information about Voices Foundation fundraising initiative, Choral Futures, can be found on their website, or contact CEO Manvinder Rattan at Manvinder.Rattan@voices.org.uk or 020 7520 1431.
To learn more about the difference Voices' work makes in schools, read their Impact Report 2020/21.
