Birmingham-based education and training charity Services For Education is embarking on a significant expansion programme as part of a bid to encourage more children in the city to learn to play music and extend its education training services.

To support its development ambitions, Services For Education has appointed Dr Tracy Carlton as the charity’s first Marketing and Business Development Director. She will expand its geographic area working with funders, commercial organisations and the not-for-profit sector.

Dr Carlton, who has worked in education business development for more than twenty years and most recently was Director of Marketing at international online education provider Keypath Education UK, said that there were significant opportunities.

“Despite reductions in funding available for arts and music, we want to ensure that even more children in the city and surrounding areas benefit from this vital part of their education.  Learning to play and enjoy music benefits children on many fronts and improves academic abilities generally,” said Dr Carlton.

Martyn Collin, CEO of Services For Education, said: “We are seeing increasing demand for our services in schools and academies, but there is also an increasing funding crisis. We receive significant support from the Arts Council but through more effective and sustained marketing we intend to extend our reach and widen our scope and support an increasing number of schools. Partnering with others will enable us to do that.

“Tracy, with her wealth of experience in the education sector, joins us at a crucial time as we seek to engage with a wider range of organisations in the West Midlands and nationally.”