Hundreds of charities across Basingstoke face extra costs under new Government proposals, according to town MP Maria Miller.
Plans are afoot to impose new charges for using music, which will hit charities at fund raising events. Maria has backed a national campaign called Don’t Stop the Music, run by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO).
She said: “These ill-thought-through measures treat charities like commercial organisations and could have a crippling effect on local fund raising activities in Basingstoke. It makes no sense at all for the Government to make life tougher for voluntary groups and charities, by loading on more costs and administrations at a time when many voluntary organisations are being hit with financial difficulties caused by the recession.”
Charities and not-for-profit organisations have had to pay PRS, the licensing body, for the use of music. But now they will also have to pay a fee to PPL, which collects royalties on behalf of performers and record companies. It will apply to events including fundraising discos, tea dances, community drop-in sessions and more.
Stuart Etherington, chief executive of NCVO, added: “There are thousands of voluntary and community groups across Basingstoke that already run on incredibly tight budgets and will rightly wonder how they will afford to pay this extra fee.”
For more information on the campaign visit www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/dontstopthemusic
