music teachers in Bolton are celebrating an encore after winning a major cash boost for the second year running.

Once again Bolton is one of the biggest winners in the latest round of Government grants to maintain and expand music services in the town.

Bolton have been awarded £311,000 to protect existing services and £247,500 extra to fund the second year of ambitious expansion plans.

Slice

This is more than last year when the town was one of the top ten authorities for funding in the country after receiving £311,000 to maintain existing services and £198,721 to start an extension programme.

And it is a major slice of the £50 million allocated nationally for next year by Schools Standards Minister Jacqui Smith.

Bolton is one of the Standards Fund winners because it resisted the temptation to follow other councils and axe or drastically downgrade music lessons in a bid to save money.

The town's ambitious long-term plan underpins the Government's determination to revive the subject in schools and halt more than a decade of decline.

Minister Ms Smith said: "The second year of the Music Standards Fund demonstrates our commitment to ensuring young people experience the fun and excitement of music making at school.

"It also lays the foundations for these young people to develop important creative skills which will help them reach their potential in the adult world."

Government officials were impressed with plans submitted last year to expand the thriving Bolton Music Service by making the subject more accessible and popular with pupils.

They have agreed to fund the second year of the plan which includes putting pop on the timetable and introducing a wider range of instruments and styles.

First, Bolton council have to agree to foot 50 per cent of the £247,500 bill for expansion from town hall coffers.

Bury will get a total of just £52,000, and Wigan £164,000, Trafford £45,000, Tameside £118,000, Stockport £231,000, Oldham £298,000 £1,355,000 Salford £389,000, Rochdale £85,000 and Manchester.

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