MP stands up for charities on music charges

Thousands of charities in the region, including scores of tiny grassroots organisations, will be burdened with the proposed extra fee if they wish to continue playing music and may have to withdraw some services unless a solution is found.

Gregory Campbell has now written to Fran Nevrkla, the chairman and chief executive of Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) calling for the company to find a “long-lasting solution” that balances the needs of music performers and charities.

The MP is supporting a national campaign called Don’t Stop the Music, run by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and is one of 104 MPs to have signed a motion in Parliament calling for charities and not-for-profit organisations to maintain an exemption from paying this fee.

Stuart Etherington, chief executive of NCVO, said: “There are thousands of voluntary and community groups across Northern Ireland that already run on incredibly tight budgets and will rightly wonder how they will afford to pay this extra fee. These organisations help some of the most disadvantaged people in our society and should be treated differently to commercial organisations.”

While charities and not-for-profit organisations have always had to pay licensing body PRS for Music, which collects royalties on behalf of music writers, composers and publishers, the Government has now proposed they should also pay a fee to PPL, which collects royalties on behalf of performers and record companies.

The charge, which applies to a wide range of events such as fundraising discos, tea dances, community drop-in sessions or where it is used in charity shops create a more cheerful atmosphere for shoppers and volunteers, is due to come into force on 1 April.

NCVO is involved in negotiations with PPL, PRS for Music and the government to ensure small organisations in particularly are not discouraged from carrying out activities with music and that the process is simple and easy to understand for charities.

PPL recently announced it would not make any concessions to the voluntary sector. NCVO is campaigning for an exemption for the smallest, grassroots charities as a minimum. As it stands, organisations may have to pay a minimum fee of 80 per building.

A total of 805 people have signed a petition on Number 10 Downing Street’s website and 483 people have joined a Facebook group opposing the change.

For more information on NCVO’s Don’t Stop the Music campaign visit: http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/dontstopthemusic or contact Jenny Legg in NCVO’s press office on 020 7520 2469 or email [email protected]. For calls outside office hours, please ring 07714 243942.