My name is Savannah Bell, and I am a Senior Accommodation and Support Worker for the YMCA. Over the past 12 months, I have been working at Street Foyer - a supported accommodation for 16 to 25 year olds. During the time I have worked here I have found that music has been an easy way to connect with many of the young people, I have found that many of them use music as a regular outlet and I have also seen young people with an interest in developing a music career struggle to access the equipment they need. Our aim is to set up a fully equipped music studio here at Street Foyer, for the residents here to use regularly, to practice with any instruments or equipment they might not have been able to access otherwise, to be able to access tutoring in a sufficient space, for us to be able to use music as part of our support and for any of our residents that have a goal of developing a career in the music industry to have the means of making a start!

We are currently asking for £5000 which will cover the following:

£2000 - equipment; microphone, CDJ's, speakers/monitors, cables, desks etc

£1000 - software; Logic, Rekordbox, FruityLoops etc

£2000 - soundproofing the room we have available at Street Foyer

As a professional musician outside of my role at the YMCA, I feel that I have first-hand experience of how powerful music can be in a range of ways; when I first started writing lyrics at 13 years old, music gave me the ability to express thoughts and feelings that I would have struggled greatly to vocalise in a normal conversation, it gave me an escape from the difficulties I had been experiencing in my life at the time and gave me an outlet for all of the often distressing emotions I would cycle through. However, it wasn’t until the age of 16 when I was given the opportunity to use a close friend’s studio equipment that I really started to progress in my writing and recording abilities, and eventually through the confidence that this gave me, became a live performer.

Many of the young people we support here at the YMCA have come from extremely difficult circumstances, and for some of them they are only at the foothill of learning to overcome their traumatic experiences. Many of them are also without any kind of outlet; perhaps engaging in full time work and/or education is far too great a challenge for them presently, or maybe they are experiencing a limitation of options that actually interest them and make them want to engage within their local area, which could be used as a healthy and regular outlet. I do not believe I have met any young person that does not enjoy or have an interest in music in some way or another – music is one of the few things that connects us all, and I believe that utilising that to encourage engagement will prove to be an incredible tool.

There is a plethora of research available that indicate how practicing music, engaging in music-related activities or even simply just listening to music can have a positive impact upon our intellectual, social and personal development and supporting these areas of development are exactly what we are trying to do for our young people. I believe that supporting them in being able to access good quality recording equipment and instruments will mean not only are they able to progress any music career goals they may have, but they will also have an at-hand outlet for managing and working through the difficulties they are experiencing currently – this, I believe, will have an all-round positive impact upon their lives, in the present and future.

Thank you in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me, the YMCA and the young people we support.