Funding plea for youth groups as demand soars
BBCA charity which raises funds to support clubs and music projects for young people is pleading for more support.
Youth Music said there had been a big increase in demand for youth activities, with more than 33,000 youngsters on waiting lists in the UK. But it said 37% of the organisations it funded were at risk of closure.
The government said expanding access to music and creativity was a vital part of the investment it was making in young people.
Jamming Station, a youth music project in Totnes, said before the Covid-19 pandemic it had 15 youngsters but now it had 100. Founder Jacqui Perks said: "The growth is exponential and we're almost struggling to keep up with it at the moment."
The project, based in the Town Mill, holds two sessions three nights a week but wants to expands its provision.
Perks said: "Funding is getting so much harder especially since Covid. But if this kind of provision fails, we're failing our young people."
The Jamming Station founder said she believed the project brought a wide range of young people together, teaching them "a culture of respect".
Esme,17, who plays the drums and sings at Jamming Station said it had helped her to become more confident.
"It's definitely helped my mental health and it's helped me become who I want to be," she said.
Dru, 16, plays drums and guitar and said the music project had helped him at school.
"I passed music which I wasn't doing beforehand, so I got that GCSE and now I am doing that full-time in college, which is huge."
Carol Reid, interim chief executive of Youth Music said being part of a youth group could open the door back into education.
Reid said the people running the organisations were "often the unsung heroes of our communities and probably saving the NHS millions of pounds through the work they're doing".
The Callington Youth Project Group, which runs The Vault youth centre in the town, is also trying to raise funds.
It recently bought the building which houses the youth project, but said it needed further investment to create four flats upstairs which it wanted to rent to young adults starting out in employment.
Chair of trustees Paul Carey said the accommodation would help young people but the rent would also provide regular income for the youth club, which includes music facilities for bands.
Carey said the funding received by the group was "well used".
"People might think it's throwing money down a drain hole. It's not."
He said it provided opportunities for young people to develop, mature and "understand how the real world works".
He added: "It's an investment really."
'Creative mentoring'
A government spokesperson said expanding access to music and creativity was a vital part of the investments it was making into young people.
They added: "It includes a £500m boost to expand access to youth clubs, activities and trusted support through our National Youth Strategy.
"And through our Every Child Can programme, funded by Dormant Assets Scheme, we're turning libraries into music lending libraries, giving young people free studio space, live performance opportunities and mentoring in music, art and film, alongside creative mentoring for care experienced young people."
