NYFTE the Charity

Since the team’s inception in 1990, the National Youth Folklore Troupe of England (NYFTE) has existed as a group or club with a passion for teaching and enabling performances of traditional music, song and dance to a group of like-minded young people aged 10 - 18. The current management team took charge in 2019, and has overseen a burgeoning team with a waiting list for the next few years. This year, performance opportunities include(d) DERT (April), Chippenham FF (May), English Country Music Weekend (June), Sidmouth Folk Festival (August) and our own event in Bristol (September).

Whilst the organisation worked well up to a point as a “club”, it became apparent that it would benefit from becoming a charity. This more formal legal position brings advantages such as being able to apply for grants to support the increasing costs of membership, equipment and tuition (until now, parents meet the whole cost), being eligible for Gift Aid, reducing venue hire costs etc. The National Youth Folk Troupe of England (NYFTE – note the subtle difference in the organisation name) was granted charitable status in June 2023 (Charity no. 1203573 - please see here for more information). Since then, a new panel of trustees has been elected. The new trustees include:

Rhodri Davis
Stephanie Andrews
Sherry Neyhus
Suzanne Ford
Aidan Hansell
Anne-Marie Coomber
Phil Bassindale
Lily Drake
Lucy Skinner

Work has now begun to ensure that the charitable aims and objectives are met.

Our charitable aims and objectives are:

To advance, improve, develop and maintain public education in, and appreciation of, the art of traditional English dance forms, folk music and folk songs and the culture, history and traditions that accompany such topics through the presentation of public events and performances, workshops and educational activities.

To advance the education of young people in English folk dances, music and songs.

The last opportunity to see NYFTE perform this year is at our own concert at Shirehampton Hall in Bristol (21^st September). The Shirehampton event is free, but we have limited numbers and so the event will be ticketed - to reserve your seat, please see here. Beyond this, there is an exciting calendar of events being planned for next year – watch this space.