Latest news with #TheMusicWorks
BBC News
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Gloucestershire Music Bus helps children 'express themselves'
A mobile recording studio is giving children in deprived areas the opportunity to "express themselves", a charity has Music Bus travels all over Gloucestershire giving young people the chance to write and record their own songs, play instruments and learn how to by Gloucestershire-based charity The Music Works, it is aimed at making music more accessible for young people."You can play what you want and you can have fun, and express your emotions," said Lilly, aged 10. The Music Bus is funded by a number of organisations including the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) which identifies areas of the county experiencing higher levels of is also funded by the GSW Music Hub, a music education partnership for Gloucestershire, Swindon and Wiltshire."The Music Bus started about three years ago with a little bit of funding to refurbish this bus, kit it out with basically a studio on wheels," said Mikel Medley, youth support manager for Music Works."It's been hugely successful, it's almost a bit of a pilot to go round all over Gloucestershire to offer opportunities for kids to get into music and also reach rural areas." It travels to different settings including children's summer programmes where in Podsmead, Gloucester, 10-year-old Malik has written his own rap."I really appreciate what they've been doing to me, they've been helping me even though I've struggled a bit in my lyrics," he said."My song is about what my hobbies are, where I'm from and how old I am." "For me, seeing young people on the bus, it's like reaching people who wouldn't have the opportunity to do music or even know their full potential in life," said Mr Medley."For us it's really important that things like this happen."If the community invests in young people, then young people invest in the community."
BBC News
01-07-2025
- BBC News
Gloucestershire PCC says heat 'brings worst out of people'
A police and crime commissioner (PCC) has warned that the summer months "bring the worst out of people" as a new safety initiative is organisations and emergency services launched the Safer Streets Summer Initiative in Kings Square on Monday in a bid to stamp out anti-social behaviour (ASB) in Nelson, Gloucestershire's PCC, said ASB increases in the summer, with his office recording 256 incidents in July, August and September in 2024, at a rate of about three incidents per Issachar Foster from The Music Works, which supports young people, said those engaging in ASB may be doing so "out of boredom". Mr Nelson said ASB "often goes underreported" due to the public thinking the police "won't do anything about it"."We do, and we've improved our 101 reporting system so the average waiting time is less than one minute," he said."In the summer months, when the sun comes out, it tends to bring the worst out of people. "People get short-tempered, drinking in the streets - that's often how it is made worse." Alex McIntyre, MP for Gloucester, was also at the launch and said those who have experienced ASB "wouldn't describe it as low level"."It's persistent, it annoys the hell out of you and it really can cause misery to people's lives," he said."It's so important that we tackle it and that people can come to the city centre, feel safe... and make this the most brilliant place to come and spend the day." Mr Foster, creative programme manager at The Music Works, said the youth-led organisation helps young people access music."We have reached a lot of young people, especially in the last few years but there's still so many more for us to reach," he said."I definitely do think young people get a bad rep but then, at the same time, I think there's nothing for them to do, so where they might act out of boredom then it might be perceived as a whole lot more."
