The Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) is celebrating after receiving a grant from Benefact Group through its annual Movement for Good Awards.
The grant is part of the specialist financial services group’s Partnership Funding programme which sees 18 charities across the UK and Ireland receive a share of a £400,000 pot.
The funding is designed to help charities make a real difference in their communities focusing on good causes working towards the advancement of education and skills, heritage, arts and culture, and climate change and environment.
The Movement for Good Awards Partnership Funding provides charities with flexible funding that can be used within three years and for a blend of capital and running costs to support their projects.
Following an initial ‘Expression of Interest’ stage where charities gave a short overview of their work, 50 were invited to complete the full application form. The winning projects were selected against four key criteria - impact and effectiveness, sustainability, innovation, and care and compassion - with The Royal Irish Academy of Music among the final 18 recipients of the funding.
The Royal Irish Academy of Music is committed to expanding access to exceptional music education. This Movement for Good grant will help RIAM develop ’Play It Forward – Expanding Music Access’, a new initiative supporting young people aged 9–14 through free instrumental tuition and access to instruments. Delivered on the RIAM campus through RIAM’s Junior Conservatoire, it fosters the next generation of musicians in a high-quality, inclusive learning environment.
Deborah Kelleher, Director of the Royal Irish Academy of Music said:
‘Here in the Royal Irish Academy of Music we live in music and believe that music is for everyone - regardless of their background, ability, age, or gender. This Movement for Good grant will allow RIAM to develop a new programme that addresses a need to open access to high-performance music education for young people from socially and economically disadvantaged communities, building on a belief that talent exists everywhere, but that opportunity may not’.
Mark Hews, Group Chief Executive of Benefact Group, said:
“Benefact Group is owned by a charity, and giving back is at the heart of everything we do - all our available profits go to good causes. Our mission is simple: the more we grow, the more we can give.
“We understand the importance of longer-term funding for charities, especially when trying to bring ambitious new ideas to life and get larger transformative projects off the ground, so we are delighted to be able to announce another series of transformational grants through our Partnership Funding.
“Through these partnership grants, we are actively championing innovation, giving charities the backing they need to propel their plans forward and turn creative ideas into practical solutions that benefit society. I can’t wait to see how these projects develop.”
On top of the financial support, Benefact Group is using the Partnership Funding to build lasting partnerships with the winning charities, working alongside them to provide access to resources, including webinars, volunteering opportunities and support on delivering their projects.
Movement for Good is funded by EIO plc, part of the Benefact Group.
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Notes for editors
Contact details Mark Mahoney, Marketing Manager, Royal Irish Academy of Music – markmahoney@riam.ie
About Royal Irish Academy of Music
The Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM), founded in 1848, is Ireland’s national conservatoire. For over 177 years, it has been at the heart of Irish musical life, training generations of performers, teachers, and cultural leaders who have gone on to national and international success. RIAM offers programmes from early years to postgraduate study, alongside an extensive national exams system and a vibrant Lifelong Learning division, ensuring access to music education at every stage of life.
In 2023 RIAM completed a €27 million campus redevelopment, creating a 70,000 sq. ft. home for world-class teaching, research, and performance. Its state-of-the-art 300-seat Whyte Recital Hall now welcomes leading international artists as well as RIAM’s own students and faculty. With its modernised curricula, expanded performance opportunities, and deep commitment to inclusion and innovation, RIAM is positioning itself among the world’s foremost conservatoires while continuing to enrich Ireland’s cultural landscape.
For more information visit www.riam.ie
About the Movement for Good Awards
- Benefact Group’s Movement for Good Awards is giving away £1,120,00 to help charities change lives for the better in 2025.
- £350,000 will be donated in £1,000 grants throughout the year. The £1,000 awards are open to all UK-registered charities, not-for-profit organisations, or community interest companies. Anyone can nominate at any time for the chance to receive £1,000.
- £200,000 will be donated in £5,000 special grants throughout the year.
- £400,000 will be donated in larger amounts throughout the year.
- £120,000 will be distributed in December as part of the 12 Days of Giving initiative.
- £50,000 has been allocated for charities in an exciting new and innovative way called Pay It Forward.
- Movement for Good is funded by EIO plc, part of the Benefact Group.
- For more information visit www.movementforgood.com
About Benefact Group
- Benefact Group is a specialist financial services organisation with a unique mission: to donate all its available profits to charity. As an independent group owned by the registered charity Benefact Trust, its diverse family of businesses - including Ecclesiastical Insurance - offers expertise in specialist insurance, investment management, and broking and advisory services across the UK, Australia, Canada, and Ireland.
- Over the past decade, Benefact Group has established itself as the third-largest corporate contributor to charitable causes in the UK, donating over £250m to charities since 2014. Find out more here: www.benefactgroup.com