Macclesfield Youth Brass Band Receives The King’s Award for Voluntary Service

Macclesfield Youth Brass Band (MYBB), a volunteer led organisation, has been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2025.

This is the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE.

MYBB has been enriching the lives of young people for 20 years, through music tuition, friendships and inspiring performance opportunities, with a strong emphasis on community and inclusion. At the heart of MYBB is a dedicated team of over 40 volunteers, including trustees, parents and many enthusiastic young player helpers, whose year round commitment ensures MYBB continues to grow and bring life-affirming opportunities to the next generation of children.

The organisation, which is a registered charity, has a youth band, a junior band and a training band which recruits complete beginners, providing tuition and the use of an instrument for just £5 per month. The band was set up to provide low-cost access to music tuition for all children, reducing barriers wherever possible to allow any child to take part. Over the years the band has undertaken many initiatives to encourage and assist children who might otherwise not have had the opportunity to reap the many known benefits that playing a musical instrument, especially in a group setting, can bring.

Since its formation in 2005, MYBB has welcomed hundreds of young musicians, some of whom have gone on to study music in higher education at Conservatoire level. There are currently over 100 young musicians from age 7 to 19 years old. The success of the organisation depends on the invaluable contribution of its willing volunteers who maintain its ethos of passing on skills to the next generation in a fun, inclusive and encouraging environment.

MYBB is one of 231 local charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. Their work, along with others from across the UK, reminds us of all the ways fantastic volunteers are contributing to their local communities and working to make life better for those around them.

The King’s Award for Voluntary Service aims to recognise outstanding work by local volunteer groups to support their communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate Her Late Majesty The Queen’s Golden Jubilee and was continued following the accession of His Majesty The King. 2025 marks the third year of The King’s Award for Voluntary Service.

Representatives of MYBB will receive the award crystal and certificate from Lady Redmond, Lord-Lieutenant of Cheshire, in the coming months. In addition, two volunteers from MYBB will attend a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace next summer, along with other recipients of this year’s award.

Louise Renshaw, founder Trustee and Chair of MYBB said:

“We are extremely honoured to receive this award in recognition of the outstanding work of our volunteers. Running a youth organisation requires a wide array of skills, knowledge and commitment to ensure best practice across all areas. We have been very fortunate to have parents and young people who are willing to give their time to make MYBB so special. Their contribution to young lives and the local community cannot be underestimated.”

“This year the band has been celebrating its 20th anniversary with a series of special events including a gala concert at The Royal Northern College of Music and a concert tour to Belgium. The news that we have received this award really is the icing on the cake.”

The next opportunity to see MYBB is at their Christmas concert on 13th December at the Fallibroome Academy when they will be presenting a live ‘music to film’ performance of Wallace & Gromit’s A Grand Day Out.

Tickets can be purchased in advance by emailing:

admin@mybb.org.uk

Enquiries about joining any of the MYBB bands should be made to:

joinus@mybb.org.uk