PRESS RELEASE BY THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARIAT FOR PUBLIC WORKS An important investment in local band clubs

In recent weeks, the Department of Public Works has worked hard on an agreement with the National Association of Band Clubs to further strengthen this very important part of Maltese culture.

This initiative is a national one aimed at ensuring that the Government continues to provide support and assistance to band clubs. Through this agreement, it has been decided that an annual scheme will be launched every October for the next five years, allowing band clubs to apply for funding for beautification and maintenance projects for their premises.

Under this scheme, every band club in Malta may apply for a project not exceeding €50,000.

Parliamentary Secretary for Public Works, Omar Farrugia, said that over recent years the Department of Public Works has provided strong support to voluntary organisations, including musical societies, to carry out their projects.

Farrugia continued by saying that “today we are signing this very strong agreement together with the National Association of Band Clubs, sealing an agreement that will continue to strengthen the relationship between Public Works and the National Association of Band Clubs so that their projects can become a reality."

The President of the National Association of Band Clubs, Noel Camilleri, said that “this morning marked the culmination of work that we, as the Association of Band Clubs, together with Parliamentary Secretariat have been working on so that Public Works can help the band societies that are members of the Association whenever they need renovation and maintenance for their club premises. This agreement continues to build on the work already carried out over the past two years, which is today being formalised, and thus this national scheme will continue providing assistance to our societies."