Youngsters in Bishop Auckland and Shildon are set to develop their music skills this year with a grant from their local AAP.
The Leeholme Toddler Group which meets in Leeholme Community Centre and St John’s Toddler group which meets in St John’s Church Hall in Shildon will benefit from visits from The Sage Gateshead’s early years team with a grant from Youth Music.
Additional funding of £950 from the AAP will pay for music sacks which will encourage children to find a love of music whilst developing skills and increasing musical opportunities available in the local area.
Janine Jackson senior development worker with the Pre-school Learning Alliance said: “The match funding received from Bishop Auckland and Shildon AAP will enable us to buy groups some music sacks which could be loaned to the families to take home, thus spreading the project even further as it will allow for whole families to participate in music making.
“The groups will be able to loan these out to even more families and can be loaned for many years to come.”
Alan Boddy, Activities for Children and Young People Task and Finish Group lead, said: “Engaging young people at such an early age with music is a fantastic idea, one which the AAP fully endorses.”
The project will run until January next year. For further information, contact Shelly Richardson on 07952 555 082 or e-mail shelly.richardson@pre-school.org.uk.
Durham Sub-committee of the Pre-school Learning Alliance was successful in gaining £30,000 of funding from Youth Music to support toddler groups in the area.