UK Leading Bands Forum Announcement
The UK Leading Bands Forum (UKLBF) has announced the appointment of its regional representative bands and officers. The decision to offer Regional Contacts was made at its meeting on the 17th January.
The organisation’s press release stated, "The UKLBF has created a regional framework of contacts which will allow bands that are not UKLBF members to directly contact a nominated band that is. This member band will then bring concerns and feedback to the regular meeting of the UKLBF and, after discussion, these will be passed to decision makers and contest organisers, as appropriate.
"Whilst all bands currently have the freedom to contact organisers directly to give their feedback, the power of bands working together is important in order to implement cohesive and systemic change. The UKLBF exists to represent the consensus views of bands, not the specific views of individual people. Therefore, the kind of representation it expects to hear from non-member bands might concern general test-piece selection in the lower section, registration concerns,
The UKLBF Regional Contact Bands are:
Scotland: the cooperation band; Whitburn
North of England: EverReady Band; Black Dyke Band
Yorkshire: Brighouse & Rastrick; Rothwell Temperance; Hammonds
North West: Foden's; WFEL Fairey; Leyland
Midlands: GUS Band; Carlton Main Frickley Colliery
Wales: Cory; Tredegar
London & Southern Counties: Friary Brass Band; Grimethorpe Colliery
South West: Flowers; Aldbourne
The list of elected officials has also been announced: Tabby Kerwin of Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band has been elected as Chairperson, and Philip Harper of Cory Band as secretary. Areas of media & marketing will be covered by Savannah Bone of GUS Band. Mark Wilkinson (Foden's), Neil Blockley (Cory Band), Steve Cavanagh (Brighouse & Rastrick) and David Nicholson (Black Dyke Band) have been named as an additional Liaison Group.