The votes have been counted, and our awesome Metal Collective members have made their final decision. Read on to find out about our chosen seven amazing community music projects and what they will be doing with the money YOU have helped to raise!
In First Place: Building Circles – Gig Buddies Gloucestershire
In first place are the fabulous Building Circles, a Gloucestershire-based charity supporting adults with learning disabilities by tackling isolation and promoting inclusion through volunteer-led activities. Their Gig Buddies Gloucestershire project pairs adults with learning disabilities or autism with trained volunteers who share their love of live music. Volunteers and participants are matched based on location, music taste, and personality, enabling them to attend gigs together and build lasting friendships. The project addresses inequalities by breaking down barriers to evening social opportunities, which many face due to limited support after hours. Music becomes a vehicle for social connection, confidence-building, and improved well-being. In just two years, nearly 30 buddy pairs have formed, many experiencing gigs for the first time. The initiative also includes group socials, radio projects, and festival attendance—all shaped by participants through a co-production model that ensures activities reflect their interests and voices. They will receive £3000 to cover the ongoing costs of running the initiative, which is free to use for participants!
In Second and Third Place…
New Note is an award-winning charity based in East Sussex, using music to support people affected by addiction, homelessness, trauma, and poverty. Through person-centred, creative programmes, they guide individuals at every stage of recovery, from early sobriety to employment. They will receive £2000 for their Strummers project, a free weekly guitar group for people in addiction recovery, offering a safe and inclusive space to build skills, confidence, and community. Participants collaborate to create original music, culminating in an album recorded at Brighton Electric Studios and a series of public performances. Led by a former participant turned trained leader, Strummers uses music to reduce stress, boost self-esteem, and address deep-rooted inequalities. With strong partnerships and measurable outcomes, the project transforms lives by fostering connection and offering meaningful pathways out of addiction through creativity and peer-led support.
Shoreham Allstars is a long-running young musicians’ collective based in Shoreham-by-Sea, Lancing, and Worthing, supporting 7–18-year-olds from all backgrounds through live performance, workshops, and mentoring. They will receive £2000 towards a 6-month programme for 21 youth bands, which includes weekly workshops, recording studio access, and 11 gigs—culminating in a main-stage performance at the Beach Dreams Festival. The initiative helps young people thrive by developing confidence, creativity, leadership, and teamwork, particularly in genres like rock, metal, and indie where local opportunities are limited. By providing accessible music-making spaces, the project addresses inequalities and supports mental well-being, offering young people a positive outlet for expression and stress management. Former participants, including now-professional musicians, credit Allstars with launching their musical journeys and building the resilience needed to pursue creative careers.
The remaining projects will receive a grant of £1000 towards their incredible work:
Cloth Cat will receive funding for Beat the Blues, a programme delivering 62 music workshops in NHS mental health facilities across Leeds to support in-patient recovery, reduce isolation, and promote well-being through creative expression.
Pedestrian will receive funding for Press Start, a free 12-week music industry programme for disadvantaged young people in Leicester that builds confidence, creativity, and skills through songwriting, production, and performance, opening pathways to education, employment, and lasting personal development.
Scrapyard Studios will receive funding for Fretboard Society, a free weekly guitar orchestra in Bootle for young people aged 11–16 that develops musical skills, confidence, and well-being through inclusive tuition, ensemble rehearsals, and performance opportunities.
Spark The Noise will receive funding for a week-long Summer Youth Camp that empowers 25 young people from marginalised genders through music-making, band formation, and performance, while building confidence, creativity, and wellbeing in an inclusive, trauma-informed environment.
