Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to support community choirs in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

The Government supports the arts sector, including community choirs, through Arts Council England (ACE). In 2024/25, ACE allocated £1.83 million through its National Lottery Project Grants programme to projects classified as ‘Choral’.

In Staffordshire, ACE supports organisations such as The Phoenix Singers, who received £9,687 in July 2025 to perform as part of Stoke-on-Trent’s centenary celebrations, while LesFest received £10,348 to support local performers, including singers, through rehearsals, coaching and live performance opportunities. These investments demonstrate the support available to community choirs and singers across both Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire.

ACE’s National Lottery Project Grants provide funding to support artists, cultural organisations and community groups to deliver creative and cultural activity. The programme is open to eligible organisations, including community choirs in both Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire, providing opportunities to secure funding for performances, audience development, education and community engagement projects.