Jools, who lives at Cooling Castle in North Kent, said he was delighted and honoured to be a patron of Kent Music and support its work in music education.

The pianist, a Deputy Lieutenant of Kent, and will be spending more time working in the county as his long-running TV show Later . . . with Jools Holland is relocating to the Maidstone Studios following the closure of BBC Television Centre in London.

The first shows are being filmed next week.

Peter Bolton, chief executive of Kent Music, said: “Jools Holland plays a fantastic role in showcasing music and musicians from many different genres and cultures. He is a wonderful ambassador for music of all kinds and thus the perfect patron for Kent Music, which is committed to encouraging playing and performing across the county.”

Kent Music, founded in 1948, is a registered education charity which delivers instrumental and vocal teaching to more than 14,000 students; employs some 200 peripatetic teachers both full-time and part-time; and organises music groups and summer schools.