Volunteer awarded prize by Making Music President Debbie Wiseman OBE

Making Music, the UK’s leading organisation that supports and champions leisure-time music, is delighted to announce that volunteer Holly McEleny has been awarded the 2019 President’s Award for her exceptional service to the organisation.

Holly has been volunteering with Making Music since 2015, first as a Member Contact Volunteer in the North West reaching out to leisure-time music groups and supporting the delivery of practical support and services to help them run. Then, as a Youth Engagement Volunteer, Holly visited member music groups in and around Manchester, evaluating the experience of joining these groups for new individuals, and providing assistance to groups in opening their doors even wider to more new members and to being more inclusive.

Xenia Davis, Making Music’s Youth Engagement Manager, said:

Holly has been an absolute joy to work with, and has done us proud in supporting leisure-time music across the UK

A great communicator, Holly brought a friendly, reliable and proactive approach to her responsiblities, and the groups she visited hugely appreciated the thorough and helpful feedback she provided to enable them to improve their member recruitment. Over and above her role, she enthusiastically took part in Making Music’s 2015/16 youth engagement research into the barriers preventing young people joining leisure-time music groups.

We’d like to say a big thank you to Holly and all our volunteers for the crucial part they play in helping Making Music give leisure-time music groups the vital guidance and support they need to thrive.

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For more information contact natalie@makingmusic.org.uk

Making Music, 8 Holyrood Street, London SE1 2EL
020 7939 6030
info@makingmusic.org.uk
www.makingmusic.org.uk
Twitter: @MakingMusic_UK
Facebook: facebook.com/makingmusicuk
Instagram: @makingmusicuk

Making Music, The National Federation of Music Societies
A company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales no. 308632
Registered Charity in England and Wales no. 249219 and in Scotland no. SC038849

Notes to editors

Since 1935, Making Music has championed leisure-time music groups across the UK with practical services, artistic development opportunities and by providing a collective voice for its members. We now represent over 3,700 groups made up of around 190,000 musicians of all types, genres and abilities. We help them run their group so they can get on with making music! www.makingmusic.org.uk

Debbie Wiseman is a composer and conductor; she is a familiar figure in broadcasting and is Classic FM’s Composer in Residence, appears regularly on BBC Radio 3 and 4, and has also appeared as an expert guest on the BBC broadcasts of The Proms.