Dick, I don't think those are examples of "best practice". Best practice is not so much what you do as how you do it.

I agree these are all things EFDSS could do. Whether they should is another matter. Whether they could is questionable. Comhaltas works in a very different environment where there is considerably more interest in traditional culture than there is in England, and is funded accordingly.

The question is, what could EFDSS be doing to improve folk music in England? In my view, with its national remit it should be doing those things which other organisations and individuals are unable to do.

Festivals: leaving aside the separate question of whether a festival would be a good fundraiser, there's no shortage of festivals, so there's no need for the EFDSS to step in.

Sessions: these are thriving in most areas, probably more so than folk clubs. Again, no need for the EFDSS.

Tuition, competitions, workshops and instrument hire would probably depend on having local branches, possibly with their own premises, to run them. Perhaps that would be a good thing, but does the EFDSS have the resources to run a branch network again? I thought you had been rather critical in the past of the standardisation imposed by Comhaltas' regime of tuition and competition, so I am puzzled that you are advocating these so strongly. Perhaps what EFDSS could do is provide a register of those individuals and organisations who do provide tuition.