A £15,000 donation is helping local 16-18 year olds gain a ‘rock school’ qualification and a possible career in the music industry.
Talbot Village Trust recently awarded the money to AIMCommunity which is a creative arts, education and mentoring project working with young people aged 7 to 19 across 15 schools and communities in Dorset. With a twin focus on developing both creative and personal skills, AIMCommunity’s unique approach enables young people to ‘not just not fail, but flourish and succeed’.
As Richard Newland, project founder at AIMCommunity FYT explains, the money has been used to buy equipment for a recently-introduced Art Academy project.
“This is a new, one-year course and during this time our young people will learn music, technology and business skills along with maths and English if required. At the end of the course, students will move towards a ‘rock school’ qualification which is the equivalent of a GCSE. This generous donation which will be a great help to the students and will play a key role in helping them get a job or move into higher education.”
Rockschool is the leading accredited provider of rock and pop exams worldwide and, as well as playing the music they love, students also learn about music composition, music technology, performance skills, business skills and event management.
Russell Lucas-Rowe, a trustee of the Talbot Village Trust said: “AimCommunityFYT do a wonderful job within the local community and we are delighted to support this exciting venture. Getting young people involved with music is a fantastic way to help improve their lives and give them important skills that they will use in the future.”
The Talbot Village Trust is a registered charity which supports causes in Christchurch, Bournemouth, Poole, East Dorset and the Isle of Purbeck. It is one of the area’s leading benefactors and currently donates around £800,000 a year to charitable causes and local community projects. For further details visit: www.talbotvillagetrust.com