After completing six years of service, YolanDa says "it has been an incredible journey"

Leading young people's music charity, Youth Music, announces today that YolanDa Brown OBE DL will be stepping down as Chair of Trustees in March 2024.

YolanDa has steered the charity through six years of considerable growth, including instigating new programmes for 18 to 25 year-olds to progress their careers in the music industries on and off stage together with geographic expansion into Wales and Scotland.

In addition, the award-winning saxophonist, broadcaster and author has worked closely with CEO Matt Griffiths to build a diverse group of trustees with a range of lived experience and specialisms. 

YolanDa Brown says: "After six fulfilling years at the helm, I am preparing to pass the baton in March 2024. It's been an incredible journey, one filled with learning, inspiration, and most importantly, meaningful impact in the lives of young people through the power of music.

"I have immense admiration and love for Youth Music, from our CEO Matt to the brilliant senior leadership team and every single team member. We are all driven by the same goal, to make music and all its benefits available to every young person. My bond with this remarkable charity is enduring, and I will undoubtedly miss the delightful presence of the office dogs, who often graced our board meetings as cherished guests."

Youth Music aims to ensure that every young person has the chance to make, learn and earn in music and wider creativity – whatever their background or goal. To do this, the charity invests in grassroots projects nationwide that make music more diverse, more inclusive, and more accessible. As well as significant long-term support from National Lottery via Arts Council England and players of People's Postcode Lottery, the charity has established partnerships with a range of music, culture and fashion brands such as Levi's, Ticketmaster and YouTube.

A passionate champion for the importance of music education, YolanDa is also the Chair of BPI, a member of Arts Council England's National Council, a trustee of the PRS Foundation and an ambassador for the Prince's Trust and London Music Fund. In 2021, YolanDa was invited by the Department of Education to sit on the advisory panel for the National Plan for Music Education and was awarded the "Music Champion Award" for the Music Week Women In Music Awards 2022.

Matt Griffiths, Youth Music's CEO, said: "It's been wonderful working with YolanDa, and I'm so proud of what we have achieved together. We've all hugely benefited from YolanDa's expertise, energy and trusting friendship to achieve our significant growth and development at Youth Music over the last six years.

"As we look ahead, our goal is to make sure that this growth is sustained. Exacerbated by economic shocks from significant events in recent years post-Brexit and COVID, the cost-of-living crisis is taking its toll on the sustainability of the grassroots organisations we support nationwide. Demand for our funding and services is at an all-time high so our new Chair will play an important strategic role in helping us tackle this, together with further growing our profile and fundraising. All underpinned by an acute understanding of the issues young people face and a determination to make positive change."

The process for recruiting a new Chair for Youth Music begins now and the charity is working with Prospectus to complete this. They are particularly keen to hear from applicants from a diverse range of lived experience. 

To find out more about the role visit www.ym-opportunities.org/

The deadline for applications is Sunday 4^th February 2024.