A little over three years ago, Islington LBC launched Music Education Islington (MEI), a pioneering new partnership with Guildhall School of Music & Drama, to ensure all our young people had access to music tuition from some of the country's best teachers, irrespective of their ability to pay.

It was one of the central planks of our ambition to ensure every one of Islington's children and young people had the best possible start in life. Prior to this, local authorities across the country had been cutting back on funding group music lessons for a number of years. So, not for the first time, we were going against the grain; in this case, because we believe no child should be priced out of participation, and because music tuition offers wider benefits to every child.