National charity Youth Music, has today launched the Youth Music Recharge Fund, supported by People’s Postcode Lottery.
The one-off funding round of £1,750,000 will be equitably invested to support around 40 music organisations nationwide, with approximately £170,000 intended to support youth music-making in Wales. Successful applicants will receive grants of up to £30,000 a year for three years.
The Youth Music Recharge Fund has been designed in direct response to research the charity undertook last year about how COVID-19 affected youth music-making, which found that 60% of creative organisations want help with funding and income diversification.
The funding will give music organisations much needed breathing space to develop and adapt as they build back post-pandemic, with specific focus on improving their capacity and capability to reach young people facing barriers and boosting the wellbeing of staff and volunteers.
The funding can be spent on core costs including:
- Salaries and freelance fees
- Communications and marketing
- Operations
- Digital development and strategy
- Income generation activity
- Training
- Organisational development activity
- Other core and development costs
Matt Griffiths, CEO of Youth Music, says: “Music has the power to transform lives for young people, especially those facing barriers because of who they are, where they’re from or what they’re going through. With young people nationwide being deeply impacted by the effects of the pandemic, equalising access to music is more important than ever.
“However, our research shows that opportunities for young people decreased during the pandemic, with 63% of music organisations from our national network reporting that they’ve had fewer resources at the same time as demand for services is increasing.
“This financial boost will ensure that grassroots music projects, and the people leading them, can bounce back better than before. Which means more young people can make, learn and earn in music over the next few years, thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery.”
Funding through the National Lottery via Arts Council England, and players of People’s Postcode Lottery, has enabled Youth Music to increase the number of music organisations it funds in Wales in recent years.
Laura Chow, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, says: “I’m delighted that thanks to players we are supporting the Youth Music Recharge Fund. We believe in funding projects that provide access, opportunities, and appreciation of music to people of all abilities and backgrounds, and this new fund will do exactly that.”
Applications are open as of Tuesday 23rd November 2021 and will close on Friday 14th January 2022. Successful applicants will be notified on Friday 25th March 2022.
For more information about the Youth Music Recharge Fund and application process, visit: https://youthmusic.org.uk/recharge-fund
