The Loan Fund for Musical Instruments is a charitable Trust whose principal object is to help young professional musicians to purchase high-quality instruments, appropriate to their careers, which they would not otherwise be able to afford.
Regulations:
- Loans are ONLY made for instruments which will be used for public performance, with the special exception of practice organs and pianos for organists and pianists who have already achieved public recognition as soloists or accompanists.
- Loans are not made for the purchase of electric or electronically-controlled instruments.
- Loans will only be made for a specific instrument.
- Loans are only available to young professional musicians. A professional musician in this context is one whose main source of income is from public performance.
- Applications are only considered from individuals. Loans will not be considered to commercial lenders.
- Preference is given to applications from British nationals.
- Applicants must be under the age of 36 at the closing date of the application.
- Applicants must supply a copy of their birth certificate or passport.
- Applications for a loan must be supported by TWO references, one of which must be from the applicant’s most recent teacher or employer.
- Applications must be completed in full on the form supplied and be accompanied by the references.
- All requests for assistance are considered individually by the Executive Committee at its regular meetings. Together with the completed form, a personal statement from the applicant, covering past experience and future intentions, helps the Executive Committee in considering funding requests. The downloadable Monitoring Form is also required.
- The Trust charges interest on loans but such interest, which is regularly reviewed, is at a low rate (currently 5% APR) on the full amount of the loan.
- The loan and interest will be repayable to the Fund in equal monthly instalments over a period which will not exceed 5 years. Repayment must be made by Banker’s Standing Order of a fixed amount throughout the period of the loan.
- The Trustees are under no obligation to make a loan to any particular applicant and until you have received a formal offer of a loan you should not assume that you will receive such a loan.