Our Impact
3500 children have passed through CCS since 1990.
Recognised with freedom of the borough of Southwark.
Previous students have performed with the Amsterdam Concertgebouworkest, the Washington Chorus and on the London stage as well as obtaining music scholarships to secondary schools.
Meet Our Team
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What instruments do children play?This will vary dependent on age. In Mini Music (0-3’s) we play small drums and shakers. Music club (4-6’s) will begin to learn ukuleles and xylophones as well as djembes, keyboards, handbells. Juniors (7-9’s) violin, cello, steel pan, drum, guitar, flute. Seniors (10-17’s) can play almost any instrument we have or bring their own.
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Can parents stay?Generally we don’t encourage parents to stay as it’s better for their children, however we do recognise that some children, particularly on their first visit, may prefer to have their parent around.
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Do you have a child protection (safeguarding) policy?Yes, we do. Please visit our policy page, here.
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How do I join?Children will need to come with a parent at the appropriate time for their age for their first visit in order to sign a registration form, or register online. They do not need any musical experience to join.
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Where do you meet on Saturdays?All our sessions take place in St Giles hall at the top (Camberwell Church Street) end of Benhill Road.
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Do you do individual lessons?We are unable to provide one to one lessons, but children do learn instruments in small groups.
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Do you lend instruments?It may be possible after a child has been attending regularly for several weeks to borrow a ukulele or guitar. We prefer a deposit on instruments when parents sign the loan form. Older children who, in our opinion, may benefit from it will be able to borrow violins and flutes.
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How are you funded?CCS gets occasional grants, especially to cover instrument purchases, but most income comes from donations from parents and individuals who support what we try to achieve. Anyone may, if they wish, make a donation towards CCS costs via local localgiving.com/ccs or at Saturday sessions. All our income goes on staff salaries and rent.
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How can I support you?It cost CCS over £17,000 a year to operate and donations are always welcome. Please go to localgiving.org/charity/ccs to donate or click here.
Get Involved
Make an impact
CCS, offering outstanding value for money, relies entirely on a donation basis, and it costs £17,000 a year to run. We do not charge any child, as our purpose is reaching those who cannot afford high quality arts. Donations can be made on Saturdays in the hall (we have card facilities) or here.
Volunteer
We need regular help with administrative tasks, and front-of-house support greeting children and parents and signing them in, as well as making refreshments for sessions. We are also keen to hear from anyone who’d like to volunteer to help children learn particular instruments from scratch. You would not have to commit to coming every week, but we would work out a rota to suit you and ensure you were confident in what you had been asked to do. You need to be over 16 and will need to either supply an original Enhanced DBS certificate from another organisation and be registered with the update service, or be willing to fill in the necessary documentation for a Enhanced DBS check.
