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The voice of Scotland’s vibrant voluntary sector

Published by Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

TFN is published by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6BB. The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Registration number SC003558.

Charity makes high-profile board appointments

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Former politicians Kezia Dugdale and Andrew Wilson have joined the board of Sistema Scotland

A charity has made two high-profile appointments to its board.

Sistema Scotland has announced today (Monday 2 September), at its Big Noise Govanhill centre, that Kezia Dugdale and Andrew Wilson have been appointed as members of the charity’s board.

The charity, which runs the Big Noise programmes, was launched in Raploch, Stirling in 2008 with thirty-five children and six musicians.

Now more than 2,800 children take part at its centres in Raploch, Stirling; Govanhill, Glasgow; Torry, Aberdeen; and Douglas, Dundee.

The Big Noise programme is particularly focused on early years' intervention and long-term delivery. Each new Big Noise centre begins by working with children at nursery (weekly) and in Primary 1 and 2 (twice weekly), gradually building on core skills such as listening, concentration, rhythm, rhyme and teamwork whilst learning to play an instrument in a group. As children reach Primary 3 and beyond, Big Noise evolves into an intensive and immersive programme of after-school and holiday club music teaching, performance and social interaction.

Former Labour leader Dugdale said: “Sistema Scotland’s Big Noise programme is already helping close to 3,000 children develop a range of both musical and non-musical skills, improve their self-esteem and forge friendships with their peers. Our young people deserve the very best support to truly believe in themselves and to reach their full potential. I’m looking forward to being part of Sistema Scotland and helping the charity to reach even more children and communities.”

Wilson, an economist, former politician and communications strategist, said: “Sistema Scotland has impressed me hugely as a charity that is about economic inclusion. They demonstrate the pivotal role of the creative sector in helping meet the very real economic challenges we now face.This is about helping each other live better lives but is also about the bottom line of economic inclusion. I am honoured to be asked to play a small role to help them steward their mission to do more of what they do so brilliantly in more communities that need them across Scotland.”

Benny Higgins, chairman of Sistema Scotland, said: “I am delighted to welcome Kezia and Andrew to the board of Sistema Scotland. They bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our organisation, as well as a huge commitment to meaningful social change. We have a strong board already, but these appointments bring even greater strength as we focus on supporting even more children in Scotland.”