LONDON, UK (vip-booking) – Music Venue Trust (MVT), the charity which represents over 900 UK grassroots music venues (GMVs), has announced details of its restructured Venue Support Team, which oversees the organization’s emergency response service supporting venues facing threats to their continued operation.
Two appointments to key positions have been unveiled, with Oliver Melling announced as Scotland Coordinator and Aled Owens overseeing the service for GMVs in Wales. They join England coordinators Jay Taylor & Sophie Asquith and Venue Support Manager Clara Cullen in the newly extended team.
Melling is based in Glasgow and is a live music professional with a long track record of working for and with GMVs. Before joining MVT, he worked in an event-production role in the world-famous Sub Club.
Wrexham-based Owens began his career as the in-house promoter before becoming General Manager of The Live Rooms in Chester. He is also the Festival manager of the FOCUS Wales festival, a role he has held since 2011.
The five members of the Venue Support Team work alongside 44 MVT ‘gurus,’ a panel of experts offering insight and professional advice into a range of issues, including licensing, planning, acoustics, legal, architectural, health & safety, financial viability and more.
Beverley Whitrick, Chief Operations Officer (COO) of MVT, said, “Our Venue Support Team is a key pillar of the work we undertake on behalf of our members. More than ever, we need a well-coordinated, robust response to the multiple threats facing the grassroots music venue sector and in the appointments of Oliver and Aled, we have further extended our reach throughout the UK. They are both passionate and experienced live music professionals fully focused on providing source support services to Scotland and Wales, respectively. The vast majority of grassroots music venues operate on a profit margin of no more than 0.2% and are facing enormous challenges including catastrophic energy price increases, inflationary pressures and increased alcohol duties. With these venues currently closing at a rate of one per week, there has never been a greater need for our team’s expertise.”
