Membership of Benslow Music Trust
How you can help
With your help and support as a member, you can ensure that Benslow continues to flourish. Whether virtual beginners or aspiring to diploma level, Benslow is the premier residential centre which provides year round for the practical needs of amateur musicians. Because we do not receive any public funding we appeal to everyone to consider joining the Benslow family to help secure our future. Click here for an application form.
Your benefits as a Member
- Advance information on all our courses
- One month priority booking period over non-members
- Additional rights if you have to cancel your place on a course
- Members' bulletin twice a year
- Borrowing rights to our music library (this can be done by post)
- Practice space before the start of your course, free of charge, if available
- Access to the Members' Forum on our website
- Option to be included in the Amateur Exchange Register
- Directing the policy of the Trust through the Council of Trustees
How much is membership?
Individual: £25 per year
Family: £40 per year (Covers all residing at the same address)
Student: £5 per year (Up to the age of 25, in full-time education)
Life: £300
Gift Aid
A very simple way of maximising your donation.
You can make your membership fee or donations worth more to us by signing a Gift Aid form. If you are a taxpayer, living in Britain, signing this very simple form allows us to claim back tax on your donation, making it worth even more than you have given.
You only need to fill it in once and it lasts in perpetuity.
The standard Gift Aid form is available here (help with download).
Volunteers/Friends
Like many charities, Benslow depends on the support of volunteers to raise funds and to support the work of its regular staff. Volunteers are enrolled as Friends of Benslow Music Trust. Currently Friends are active in the following areas:
- Concert organisation
- Database maintenance
- Flowers and decoration
- Hosting courses
- Mailings
- Office administration
- The Amateur Exchange Register
- The Archive
- The Grounds
- The Library
If you are interested in one of these areas, or have other skills to offer, please contact the Volunteer Co-ordinator or the Chief Executive (email: info@benslow.org or call 01462 459446).
Legacies
Conditional Gifts
A gift may be subject to express condition(s) or stated to be for a specific purpose only, which prevents Benslow Music Trust from treating it as part of its general funds. In such circumstances, we may have to register the gift as a separate charity or subsidiary and/or show the income separately in our accounts. Any specific purpose must be charitable or we may be unable to accept the gift, and the tax relief may be prejudiced.
Inheritance Tax
Gifts to charities are usually exempt from UK inheritance tax, although there are some exceptions. If an estate is split equally between us and a non-exempt beneficiary, our share will not generally be reduced by reason of any inheritance tax paid in respect of the other beneficiary’s share. Thus if tax is payable, the net amount received by us would be greater than the amount received by the other beneficiary. If this is not what you intend, then please take specific advice.
Click here for an explanation of the various legacy forms and links to download them.
If you are interested in one of these areas, or have other skills to offer, please contact the Volunteer Services Co-ordinator or the Chief Executive (email: info@benslow.org or call 01462 459446).