SFE is an award-winning charity which creates opportunities for disadvantaged children, young people and adults in Birmingham.

About SFE

Services For Education is a registered charity (Charity no. 1148848). We use the power of learning and music to create and build confidence amongst children, young people, adults and communities across the city of Birmingham. Our mission is to bring music and learning to life.

The charity was formed in 2012, with the aim of providing more opportunities for children of all ages and abilities in Birmingham to reach their full potential, regardless of their background.

Since then, our music ensembles and community based music projects have helped thousands of young people engage in music, impacting lives in so many ways. We have also worked with adults and people with disabilities in the community, bringing music to within their reach.

We know that music has a profound impact on children because we witness it every day. We have a vision to reach as many children across Birmingham as possible, sending them on a journey through music, regardless of their backgrounds or circumstances.

Financial donations and support are vital in enabling us to continue to deliver our projects, grow our reach and engage those who need it most.

music and drama awards

2023 WINNER
EXCELLENCE IN SEND (MUSIC AND DRAMA)

In partnership with Soundabout

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2022 WINNER
THE ARTS, CULTURE AND HERITAGE AWARD

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2022 WINNER
OUTSTANDING CHARITY OF THE YEAR

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Services For Education Limited

Company Limited by Guarantee Registered in England & Wales No. 07739831
Registered Charity in England and Wales No. 1148848

CE: Sharon Bell

Our charity is overseen by a dynamic board of Trustees:

Chair of Trustees: Martin Hall

Trustees: David Bolton, Joanna Cooney, Clive Stone, Dr Peter Borg-Bartolo, Dr Jory Debenham, Chirag Mistry, Daniel Amona, Fozia Nisar and James Taylor

We bring learning and music to life

Read our Annual Review >

As well as our charity projects Our work comprises:

  • Music provision – working with young people, schools and a number of strategic partners, we enable, enhance and enrich the music education available to students in and around Birmingham.

  • School Support – we offer a comprehensive programme of professional development and school improvement for those working across the education sector, aiming to improve practice, policy and ethos in leadership and strategic management, workforce and curriculum development.

  • Private Music lessons – with over 50 years’ experience of delivering music education we have started two new Birmingham-based Music Schools seeking to bring music to the masses through provision of high-quality lessons and access to free instrument loans for people of all ages.

 

Our Impact

 #MusicCan develop key skills such as literacy, language and numeracy in children of all ages, as well as listening and communication.

Engaging with music promotes positive mental health and wellbeing of those taking part, it can sooth and relax or it can energise and uplift. It offers an opportunity to enjoy a shared experience, whatever a person’s age. Our projects make people feel part of something special, whether this is a choir with people similar to themselves, an activity they’ve not been able to do before or a music ensemble with other young musicians from across the city.

Through our music activities, we try to engage as many ‘hard to reach’ people as possible, encouraging creativity and exploration of music, bringing music to people who it may not otherwise reach. We give them opportunities to learn, train and perform, promoting confidence and belief.

Our free ensembles reach thousands of school children across Birmingham every year, opening up opportunities to perform on prestigious stages locally, and nationally, sharing their progress and passion with peers and audiences.

Our community-based music activities bring people together to share in experiences, whether as participants and/or families, with music being a shared focus.

Sign up to our biannual charity newsletter today and we’ll send you our latest information and blogs about our charity work and projects. 

Our Projects

For more information on our current and previous charitable projects, please click below to deliver our projects, grow our reach and engage those who need it most.

Community Choirs

Inclusive Choirs

Make Music Possible

Music Ensembles

Why We Need Your Support

As a charity, we rely on the generosity of supporters to make a lot of the work we do possible, especially our individual projects.

Do you:

  • Believe #MusicCan can bring joy to schools, communities, and individuals across Birmingham?
  • Believe #MusicCan have a positive impact on children, young people and others?
  • Believe that music should be accessible for everyone, regardless of their background, should they want to take part?
  • Want to help build and inspire Birmingham’s next generation of young musicians?

If so, please consider making a donation to support us.

In doing so, #YouCan help us create opportunities where #MusicCan create opportunities, build confidence and remove barriers.

Whether you set up a regular payment to donate throughout the year, or give a one-off donation, it all adds us and enables us have an impact.

£10

Could buy essential strings and reeds young musicians will need to replace

£30

Could buy a musical instrument for a *SEND music group

£50

Could enable a young musician to complete an instrumental music exam

£100

Could cover the cost of loaning and maintaining an instrument to a young musician for a year.

£300

Could cover costs for a Specialist Music Practitioner to support a *SEND music session.

Youth Proms

£500

Could cover the costs
of two Music Ensemble
pupil places
for a year.

If you would like to make a donation:

One-off donationRegular donation

*Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

Page Last Modified:  14/10/2026 15:57