As someone who has just spent 8 years contributing as a trustee to the work of the EFDSS (2000 - 2008) I'm delighted to see the next step being taken - the appointment of a marketing director. When I joined the board the renaissance was just beginning under the guidance of Phil Wilson who put together a strategic plan which has proved to be a good direction for the Society. It's been modified along the way and not all objectives have been possible to achieve, but it's seen in the beginnings of a much improved organisation.

Many more young people are getting involved and this is due to the efforts of other young people typified by Sam Lee and also more experienced and visionary people such as Derek Schofield, for whom will publicly express my admiration. (That'll be a fiver Derek!).

I've managed to visit the House for a couple of recent (ish) events - the Vaughan Williams and the Bert Lloyd days - and both times the House was buzzing and full of life. More importantly, the spin offs from these events reached out into the rest of the folk community in many small ways so they weren't completely London-centric.

I agree with Barbara that it is slightly annoying for us provincials to see such good things going on at the House and not have much opportunity to benefit, but first things first. If the income grows then so can the range and reach of activities. This has already started to happen in small ways. Ryburn 3 Step booked Sam Lee to attend its Spring Sing in West Yorkshire and as well as performing, he showed brilliant films from the EFDSS archives (including Cecilia Costello, Padstow May Day, Blaxhall Ship and more). Others could take advantage of this sort of small but effective partnership. The Take Six project has benefitted many people outside London and has been a good learning experience for the Society. The library supplied some of the raw material for the Vaughan Williams community projects run by the East Anglian Traditional Music Trust in Diss, Southwold and Kings Lynn. There's loads of stuff happening out there that the EFDSS has a quiet hand in enabling.

Not everything works out 100% or works first time but the EFDSS is using what money it has available to develop its activities to the benefit of members and non members alike, alongside the other folk organisations, both national and regional.


The Society can't do everything people it expect it to do, or be everything that people think it should be because it can only do what it can afford to do. And before people pile in with 'good advice', they've heard it all before. Words are cheap and they've got a bloody bank full of them. For a change, put some money into the equation. If you don't want to buy a membership, then just donate a bit of cash to the library. There's a Paypal donate button on the Village Music Project web site where you can do just that. It was placed there originally to support the restoration of a manuscript book but all the money required was raised in the first 3 days after it was put there. Since then a few hundred extra pounds have been donated to the library and lots of other projects have been enabled.

Every pound that goes direct to the library releases a pound from the EFDSS general budget to be spent on education or publishing or promotion of the folk arts generally. There are a lot of people coming to realise that supporting such a national organisation may not bring instant gratification but will bring benefits in the long run. There are other people to support like Folk Arts England, or AFO, or your regional organisation and they are all doing a grand job. But the EFDSS is doing its bit too and it would be nice if some of you would support it in a practical way.

I have.

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