On 5th October, I'll be taking on the Oysho Cardiff Half Marathon to help raise funds to support Anthem's Sustain Our Sound Campaign.

The brilliant fundraising work Anthem Cymru carry out to help support and strengthen youth music services in Wales is invaluable for the next generations of musicians to have access to facilities and networks that will inspire them to create and hone their skills.

Growing up in Cardiff at the age of 12-13 when I'd first picked up the guitar, it was the brilliant and welcoming services available from local council youth centres such as Cathays Community Centre's Under Construction initiative and Howardian Youth Centre's 'Studio 22' which granted me access to an array of instruments, rehearsal rooms and studio equipment, offering my first insights as a young teenager into the world of music performance and recording after school and on the weekends.

Unfortunately Howardian has now since closed, and countless youth services have faced cuts across the country, but fortunately organisations like Anthem are fighting the good fight by fundraising for music-based youth services such as those provided by Cathays Community Centre. Having secured the funding for a project providing small group and 1-1 music sessions, with a focus on engaging young people with additional learning needs (ALN), autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and disabilities at CCC.

The friends for life and collaborators I met through music clubs and youth centres as a teenager are still a big part of my life as a musician now, and the practical skills I developed thanks to these initiatives have meant I've gone on to tour the country across clubs and festivals multiple times with various groups into my adult life and am now self-employed part-time as a session guitarist.

Through training, mentorship, paid development opportunities, and showcasing, Anthem equip young people with the skills, networks, and confidence they need to kick start their careers in the music industry.

My aim is to raise £250 in aid of Anthem Cymru. By donating to my 13.1 mile challenge, you will be helping Anthem to serve the youth music community in 2026 and to build stronger, more sustainable pathways to music for all young people in Wales.

Thank you/ Diolch!