Music teaching at schools across south Essex is set to be boosted by around £350,000 of extra funding. The cash is part of a £41 million Government scheme to improve music services nationwide.

Southend Council will be allowed to spend more than £113,000 on expanding its services.

Essex County Council is set to be able to spend £729,000 on its music services, with around £250,000 expected to be used in Basildon, Castle Point and Rochford.

The Government will put up half the cash for these grants, with the local authorities responsible for finding the rest. In Southend the cash will allow the expansion of network of teachers visiting primary and secondary schools in the borough to give lessons.

Under this scheme pupils getting free lunches will also receive free music tuition.

Around £24,000 of this money would be used to subsidise Southend and Shoebury Music Schools and £25,000 would be used to buy instruments and sheet music.

A spokesman for Southend Council said: "Southend is known as the musical borough and this money will help us develop this reputation further."

A spokesman for Essex County Council education department was absolutely delighted with the news of the funding, which would guarantee the future of cash-strapped music services in south Essex.

He said cash would go to music schools at Chalvedon in Basildon, Bromfords in Wickford, Appleton in Benfleet, Cornelius Vermuyden on Canvey, and King Edmunds in Rochford.

It will also be used to set up a music school in Billericay.

The county will be able to buy new double basses, cellos and bassoons to loan to schools, and will expand the number of teachers visiting schools to give lessons.

The spokesman said: "We are a county that has a good name for promoting music. The Essex Youth Orchestra is renowned throughout Europe.

"The music service, which had faced uncertainty, has been given a new lease of life with the opportunity to influence and improve the lives of even more young musicians than at present."

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