A N N U A L R E V I E W 2 0 1 5H E L P I N G S O N G W R I T E R S A N D C O M P O S E R S I N H A R D T I M E S

CONTENTS

5 A message from our Chair

6 Helping members financially

7 Support beyond money

8 Case studies

12 Lynsey de Paul

13 Staff news

14 Thanks

“It’s not easy to ask for help as I am used to sorting out my own affairs. I didn’t expect to get this sort of help - you have taken a big concern off my mind. Thank you.”

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What do we dosupport we give

Music is an unpredictable business. Quite often it’s feast or famine for many writers. What happens when the good times end or a career is curtailed through illness?

PRS for Music Members Benevolent Fund is a safety net for songwriters and composers, providing welfare and wide ranging support to members of seven years or more, ex-members and their families also. We aim to improve the quality of life for those in distress and are able to do so in a number of ways, for example, by assisting with the search for sheltered accommodation, providing debt advice and career counselling, or perhaps funding a short break through our holiday scheme. We also provide one off grants, small loans and in some cases regular assistance. The range of support we can offer to those in genuine need grows year on year.

We are flexible, always considering members’ individual needs so we can put together the most effective package of help. We pride ourselves on being able to adapt to the changing stresses faced by songwriters, composers and their families.

If you’re in need, we encourage you to contact us at the earliest possible stage, ideally before you’re at a crisis point. Personal pride and of course lack of awareness are two factors which sometimes make early intervention more difficult. The most important thing to remember is that we’re here to help. We always endeavour to find a solution to whichever problem you face, so please do get in touch.

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A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIR

The Fund has been helping members of PRS for over 80 years. We started in 1934 and during that time have helped members and their loved ones overcome hardship and seen them through illness. We offer support, advice and signposting as well as financial help, but we know there are many more amongst our membership who are reluctant to come forward. This is your fund, so use it if you need to. And if you know another member who might need our help, please encourage them to get in touch.

In 2015 we looked deeper into issues that members face, one being mental health. More and more people are feeling they can talk about how being in the music industry is a precarious business and how it can cause depression, anxiety and other mental illness. We will continue to explore ways in which we can more effectively help our members.

Committee members of the Fund, the Chair included, are re-elected at regular intervals. All going well for me this year I look forward to carrying on as chair through 2016 and beyond.

Remember, this is your fund, so if you need it, use it.

Very best wishes to you all

Ray DaviesChairPRS for Music Members Benevolent Fund

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HELPING MEMBERS FINANCIALLY

Life doesn’t always go according to plan. And if you’re a self-employed composer or songwriter, you might not have a safety net if illness or other circumstances mean you can’t work. We offer PRS members, ex-members and their families support if financial crises strike. We can take the stress out of the situation and give you a chance to get back on your feet.

In 2015 we gave:

• 1,078 grants totalling £370,753

• 459 regular grants to help with daily living expenses

• 58 one-off grants to, for example, replace essential domestic appliances, totalling £33,486

• 85 loans for home repairs totalling £413,321 outstanding.

• Special needs grants for elderly or disabled people

• 61 members received £25,551 in total towards their winter heating bills

• Christmas vouchers for all regular grantholders

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85 loans for home repairs

totalling £413,321

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SUPPORT BEYOND MONEY

Sometimes money is the answer, and sometimes you need more than that. We provide support and advice – whatever it takes to help you get back to work or to stabilise your situation.

Career CoachingWhen music no longer pays the bills, our career coaches will work with you to explore other options in work, maybe a career that can work alongside music, or a fresh new direction altogether.

Debt AdviceWe can help in the short term but taking a look at your finances is a very important step. We can put you in touch with professional debt advisers who can help you get your finances in order.

Last year the subject of bankruptcy was approached and we looked at the impact of personal bankruptcy on income and loss of royalties.

Occupational TherapistSometimes we call upon an occupational therapist who can visit a beneficiary to find out what kind of adaptations or solutions can help make their life easier if they have trouble with their mobility. In one case last year an OT visit resulted in the beneficiary being assessed for a riser recliner chair.

Mental HealthLast year we took a long hard look at what we could do to help members with their mental health. In a very difficult business, mental health often suffers as is seen increasingly in the media. We’re working on different ways to offer support through advice or referrals to professional services.

HousingWe’re always reviewing the housing needs of members and possible partnerships with housing providers. Our partnership with East Boro Housing means we have nomination rights at Cyril Wood Court, a sheltered housing complex in Bere Regis, Dorset, which is dedicated to people within the arts. We currently have seven PRS members living there and our Welfare Officer visits once a year.

Overseas SupportPRS members live all over the world and we continue to support members in Cyprus, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St Lucia, Jamaica, USA, Ghana, Spain and Malta.

Home VisitsApplications to the Fund are often followed up with a visit from our Welfare Officer, Annie Paterson, who joined us in July, or from one of our regional visitors who cover other parts of the UK. Regular grantholders are visited once a year. This gives them a chance to bring up any issues that they may have had, ask for specific help, and for us to make sure that the help we give is still appropriate.

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“I am forever grateful to the PRS Members Benevolent Fund for looking after me in my time of need.”

Mick was the original guitarist in Jethro Tull in 1967 and played on the album “This Was” in 1968. He went on to form Blodwyn Pig, recording two albums together. He has played consistently over the years as well as working day jobs.

In 2009 he suffered two heart attacks and a stroke, then found he had Meniere’s Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis. He is left with problems with his hearing, co-ordination, balance and his speech. He is also diabetic and insulin-dependent, and takes a long list of medication.

His wife gave up her job as a head teacher and tutors children at home, which allows her to provide constant support to Mick.

At the time of his heart attacks the Fund helped him with an immediate needs grant to cover day to day living expenses, with a similar grant four years later. More recently he got in touch as his condition hadn’t improved and he was having real issues with his mobility.

A visit from our Welfare Officer flagged up several ways in which the Fund could help. A visit from an occupational therapist could assess Mick for a riser recliner chair and a motor scooter. An application for a Disabled Facilities Grant to his local council could help take care of adaptations around the house including a bathroom easier to use and a stair lift.

The upshot is a grant towards a mobility scooter which allows the couple to get out and about together. A loan was awarded and is being repaid from Mick’s PRS royalties. This will enable him to buy a riser recliner chair and other items he needs. A care phone has been installed to provide peace of mind if he should ever fall, and a grant is in the application stage with the local Council. Mick comments “I am forever grateful to the PRS Members Benevolent Fund for looking after me in my time of need.”

CASE STUDIESMICK ABRAHAMS

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Anonymous Beneficiary:

MC was suffering a whole range of problems when he came to us. Mental health, rent arrears, bankruptcy and the prospect of living somewhere away from his family support network. With our help, he managed to secure a new place to live and is now back on his feet. He has a new job, is writing new music, his young daughter is in the school of her choice. A loan from the Fund was secured on his royalties and he has almost repaid it within several months.

“The PRS Benevolent Fund helped me when my family faced imminent homelessness. They were patient and understanding, non-judgemental and professional. A real support through a very stressful time. The creative life is by necessity up and down; the Fund helped me see my low point as just that, and to keep sight of the bigger picture. Thanks all.”

“The financial support has made all the difference and given me so much more security and ability to pay for outgoings.” MC

“It is impossible to imagine life without your support.” VM

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FIND US ONLINEYou can find us on both Facebook and Twitter as we aim to reach more of our members through social media. Our website is full of up to date information and is constantly changing – make sure you take a look!

FUNDRAISINGAll donations to the Fund are applied towards helping

PRS members. We raise money through donations, bequests and legacies.

Please visit www.prsformusicfund.com/support-us to find out how to donate.

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ROLL OF HONOUR

The Fund owes a deep debt of gratitude to all, past and present, who have generously made bequests and donations, large or small, to help the Fund and its work:

Ira AldridgeChristopher AndersonDoris Arnold via H.S. PepperDorothea BarcroftEily Kathleen BeadellDonald Morgan BowdenFrank Bridge via E.E. BridgeRonald BridgesHelen BrownElizabeth Bryce-RomainMabel BuchananIvy BurgessRex Burrows via E BurrowsSir Alfred Butt via Lady Vilma ButtDesmond CarterAustin Coates via Yim Kim FungEric Coates via Yim Kim FungLes CondonSamuel CopeThomas Dando via Elizabeth DandoMichael DawneyLynsey de Paul via John Rubin & familyLuigi DenzaLeslie ElliottW.M. Farren via Maud FarrenMarc Feld aka Marc BolanDavid FergusonAndrew FennerLen Fillis via D. JamesMarjorie FinckReginald Fogwell via A.E. FogwellPercy E. Fletcher via Marie FletcherMax Gartman via P. DesmondCarroll Gibbons via Brian LidstonePercy Greenbank via Phyllis GreenbankJohnnie GrayMaurice Grew via G. GrewMichael HeadWilliam Henly via J. ReynoldsLeslie Holmes via Ellen Joan KilpatrickMichael HurdMick Jones (Foreigner) Albert W. Ketelbey via M. Ketelbey

Albert W. Ketelbey via M. KetelbeyC.S. Lang via W.M. FoxSimon LanzonBert LeeHarry Leon aka Art NoelEdward F. Lockton via E.C. LocktonE.M. LockwoodJ.P. Long via Ethel Maud BlairClaudine LordanBilly Mayerl via E.G. MayerlStella MorganJoseph MurrellsNorman MurrellsCecil NormanDesmond O’ConnorDaphne OramLeslie Herbert OsborneHarry S. PepperSid Phillips via Marie PhillipsRobert and Pauline PodsiadlyCharles W. Prentice via Phyllis PrenticeLeonard Rafter via Beryl RafterGordon Reed via M. ReedGordon Reid via Joyce ReidMargaret ReizensteinSydney RosenbloomFrederick RossePaul A. Rubens via E. BurlinsonCecil James Sharp via Briony A JoseEdrich Siebert via Enid Smith MastersBruce Sievier via Mary SmithAnthony Richard Michael Smith via Mr & Mrs SmithReginald SomervilleW.H. SquireThomas P. SuttonIvy St HelierPhyllis TateHelen Taylor via S.H. RothschildMadeline Chase ThomasHenry (Harry) ThorneMichael TrelfordCharles Williams via M WilliamsCharles Windeatt via Jessie Windeatt

LYNSEY DE PAULA CELEBRATION Lynsey de Paul was a much loved songwriter and performer and was also a Trustee of the Fund. Lynsey sadly passed away on 1st October 2014.

To celebrate her life and support for the charity, the Fund worked with the PRS for Music Foundation to launch the Lynsey de Paul Prize for emerging female singer-songwriters.

The winner Emma McGrath was announced at “Lynsey de Paul – A Celebration”, a fundraising event for the Fund hosted by Dame Esther Rantzen and held at Pancras Square, London on 10th September, a year on from Lynsey’s passing. The prize itself which attracted 112 entries was organised by the Foundation, the UK’s leading charitable funder of new music and talent development.

We are grateful for the support we received from Lynsey’s family and friends and those organisations and business who supported the event. The auction raised £3,935. We are indebted to Lynsey’s brother John Rubin and nieces who agreed to donate a share of Lynsey’s royalties to the charity. We offer our sincere thanks to those many individuals who helped organise the event and make it a success.

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STAFF NEWS

In July we were joined by Annie Paterson who is the Fund’s new Welfare Officer, as Jessica Morgan moved across to Communications. Annie brings over two decades of welfare experience as both volunteer and staff, largely within the military sector, and remains a volunteer case worker for, among others, the Royal British Legion. Added to this she was a Dental Hygienist for 30 years which helps when the Fund receives applications for dental work.

The Fund team were nominated and awarded Team Gold in March in recognition of their efforts helping PRS members in 2014. John, Christine and Jessica were presented with certificates by Robert Ashcroft, PRS CEO, and Nicky Graham, Fund Trustee.

Congratulations to our General Secretary John Logan, who in October 2015 received the coveted Gold Badge of Merit from BASCA for his dedicated attention and service to those within the British music industry for over three decades, we salute him on an honour so richly deserved.

“Thank you to the Fund and the beneficiaries for making me feel so welcome. It’s been wonderful meeting you all.”

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THANK YOUTo provide the level of support needed for our work, we rely heavily on a number of key working relationships with other charities, agencies, businesses and organisations.

We are grateful to the following for their support and co-operation:

Cyril Wood Court Trust, Workjoy, Performance and Media Coaching, East Boro Housing Trust, Debt Advice Network, DES Computer Solutions, Soho Media Solutions, Association of Charitable Organisations, BASCA, Help Musicians UK (formerly Musicians Benevolent Fund), Royal Society of Musicians, Royal Theatrical Fund, Incorporated Society of Musicians, Age Concern Birmingham, and British Association for Performing Arts Medicine.

We also remain indebted to affiliated societies overseas and local PRS for Music agencies for helping us assess need and get urgent financial help to local members. These include SAMRO (South Africa), JACAP (Jamaica), ECCO (Eastern Caribbean), PRS for Music Malta, and PRS for Music Cyprus.

We also thank BASCA for the publicity it gives the Fund in its magazine, The Works, and in its programmes for the Ivors and Gold Badge awards. Similarly, thanks to the Royal Variety Charity for our advert in their souvenir programme for the 2015 Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium.

We are grateful to IP lawyers Boult Wade and Tennant who offered pro bono advice on our “Helping The Heart of Music” logo and UK Trade Mark application and to Charles Russell Speechlys who acted similarly in connection with our application to the Financial Conduct Authority for consumer credit permissions relating to loans granted by the Fund.

We acknowledge the support given by PRS for Music for its annual subvention to the Fund and support in the form of donated facilities and services such as rent-free accommodation, heating and lighting. We are also grateful for advice and guidance from the communications, membership, human resources, legal and finance directorates.

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“I cannot stress enough how immensely grateful I am to be a member of such a caring organisation that came to my aid during a very dark and difficult time.”

PRS for Music Members Benevolent FundA Registered Charity No. 208671

Trustees: Paul Patterson, Peter Glenister, Nicky Graham

Committee of Management: Ray Davies (Chair)Brian Willey (Deputy Chair), Mark Fishlock Peter Glenister, Christopher GunningPeter Knight Jnr, Mick Leeson, Eddie LevyMike Lindup, Paulette Long , Megg NicolPaul Patterson , Sarah Rodgers, Muff Winwood

General Secretary: John Logan

Patrons: Don Black OBE, Geoffrey BrandJools Holland OBESir Peter Maxwell Davies CH, CBEDr Brian May CBE, Sir Tim Rice, Rick Wakeman

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