Music as a Pathway – Access That Matters
How We Help
We are committed to providing equitable access to piping & drumming and supporting families in removing all financial barriers to participation.
Our NPC Access Scheme can provide support in three different ways:
- Fee Bursaries – We provide bursaries that cover up to 100% of programme fees.
- Travel Bursaries – We provide travel bursaries that cover the cost of travel to and from our programme locations.
- Instrument loan / Rent-to-buy – We provide bursaries that cover up to 100% of loan fees for instruments.
Fee and Travel bursaries are applied for on registration for eligible programmes. Instrument Loan bursaries can be applied for below.
Did you Know? We offer a 2nd child discount of 40% across all of our youth programmes without the need to apply to our access scheme. Where a 2nd child participant is eligible for a Fee Bursary and the 2nd child discount, the greater discount will apply.
Whether you would like to apply for financial support or would like to speak to one of our Youth & Communities team for advice please use the link below.
What We Fund
The NPC Access Scheme has been created with the sole aim of supporting young pipers into, and throughout, their piping journeys by helping to remove financial barriers.
The scheme is currently able to provide support towards participation in the below projects:
- National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland
- NPC Community Piping Clubs
- NPC Holiday Clubs
If you are looking for support in an NPC programme not listed above please email access@thepipingcentre.co.uk.
Who Can Apply
Participants currently participating in or hoping to apply for one of the NPC programmes above may be eligible to apply to the NPC Access Scheme.
Preference is awarded to young people (under 26) and those from the following priority groups.
- Disabled people
- People in the LGBTQ+ community
- People from black, Asian and other global majority backgrounds
- Care experienced young people
- Young parents
- Young carers
- People living in areas of social and economic deprivation, as measured by Scottish Index of Multiple Depravation.
Eligibility Criteria & Levels of Support
Free Places
Applicants may be eligible for a fully-funded place if their total household income before tax is £25,000 or less, or if applicants are:
- In foster care or under the care of a local authority
- Receiving Universal Credit, Income Support, or Income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance
- Receiving Income-based Employment and Support Allowance
- Supported under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- A recipient of the Applicants young Carer Grant
- Receiving Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit) with a household income below £16,105
- Receiving both Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit, with a household income up to £7,500
Reduced Fees
If applicant’s total household income before tax is £55,000 or less, applicants may qualify for a reduced fee:
- £25,000–£35,000: 80% bursary
- £35,000–£45,000: 60% bursary
- £45,000–£55,000: 30% bursary
Discretionary Bursaries
If you do not meet the above criteria and would like to be considered for support due to experiencing other financial barriers, you can apply for a discretionary bursary through our NPC Access Scheme.
Successful discretionary bursaries will be granted where by applications demonstrate extenuating circumstances (challenges) meaning that your income bracket isn’t indicative of your financial circumstances.
Travel Bursaries
Our Travel Bursary exists to support participants in getting to our programmes, removing travel as a barrier.
Applicants with a household income less than £35,000 may be eligible for a travel bursary. Applicants with a household income of more than
£35,000 can apply for a discretionary travel bursary through our Access Scheme.
Geographic eligibility is dependent on each NPC programme. Currently, our National Youth Pipe Band and NPC Holiday Club travel bursary
applicants are eligible nationwide, while our NPC Community Piping Club travel bursaries are accessed with priority given to those who live in
the community where the club is situated.
Instrument Loan Scheme
Our Instrument Loan Scheme aims to support pipers with the financial cost of moving from the practice chanter to the pipes. Facilitated by The Bagpipe Shop and our team of experts, recipients receive all the support they need to get up and running with their new instrument.
The subsidised loan fees ensure that the initial outlay on a new set of pipes is not a barrier to participation while applicants may be eligible for further support based on the information laid out in the Eligibility Criteria section above.
While applications are open to all, priority will be given to young people and those participating in NPC programmes.
Rent-to-Buy
To ensure that loan payments do not further prohibit a recipients ability to purchase their own instrument outright, all recipients have the option to purchase their instrument, interest free, at the end of the loan period by paying the remaining balance.
Access Scheme FAQs
How long will it take for my application to be accessed?
Each application is reviewed by our access panel to ensure fairness and due process at every stage. Our panel meets fortnightly to review applications to ensure that results are issued in a timely manner. In most cases, applicants can expect a decision within 2-4 weeks.
Can I use the same application if my child is participating in more than one NPC programme?
No, each NPC programme requires a separate application through the NPC Access Scheme. For example, if a participant receives a free place in an NPC Community Club, they must submit a second application to take part in an NPC Holiday Club.
How long does my funding last for?
Our Access Scheme awards are time-limited and are valid only for a given academic year (August – July). For example, if a participant receives a free place during the academic year, their free place will last until the end of July and a new application will be required for the following academic year.
My application was unsuccessful, can I appeal the result?
Applicants wishing to appeal a decision should submit a request to the YC Coordinator – access@thepipingcentre.co.uk . Appeals are reviewed with fresh consideration and may require additional information from the applicant.
Have more questions?
If the above information didn’t answer your question, please reach out to our Access Team at access@thepipingcentre.co.uk
Made Possible By
The NPC Access Scheme is made possible by the kind support from; Creative Scotland, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, The MacRobert Trust, The Eilidh Macleod Memorial Trust, The Helen A. Reid Charitable Trust and the many smaller private donations made to the National Piping Centre.
The scheme is open to anyone aged 25 or under who meets the eligibility criteria however, the named funds below have been set-up to provide support in specific areas.
- The MacRobert Access Fund – To provide financial support to young pipers and drummers from the Aberdeenshire region.
- The Eilidh Macleod Access Fund – To provide financial support for young musicians in Scotland, with particular, but not exclusive, focus on enabling participation by young people from Island communities.
- The Helen A. Reid Charitable Trust – The advancement of education. The advancement of health. The advancement of, arts, heritage, culture, or science. The relief of those in need by reason of age, ill health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage.
All applications are submitted in the same way and you do not need to specify which fund you are applying for. Each application is assessed on its own merits with successful applications being assigned to either a targeted fund or the wider NPC fund.
