We are delighted to share the recipients of our first formal grant awards. Since our registration as a charity in November 2022, we have been harnessing the power of the rock and metal community to fundraise for community projects and organisations using music for positive social change.
Alongside proceeds from our merch sales, we have been engaging with artists and businesses in the rock and metal world to fundraise from auctions and merchandise collaborations. We have also received support from thousands of festival goers over the summer at 2000trees, ArcTanGent, Bloodstock and the Primordial General Mayhem.
We believe that the rock and metal community are truly unique, brought together through a love of great music and a sense of belonging. Through this shared identity, lives are often improved; we feel a part of something bigger, that we are accepted, and that someone has ultimately ‘got our back’.
We harness this positivity to enable others to benefit from the transformational power of music, specifically funding projects which use music to:
- Improve mental health
- Support young people to thrive
- Address inequalities
We are delighted be able to support three incredible projects as part of our first funding round, they are:
The Music Works is a Gloucestershire-based charity that uses music as a transformative tool to empower young people facing marginalisation, disadvantage, or disability.
The Music Works have received £2000 towards The Drop Project, their open access programme which runs once a week, after school for young people aged between 10 and 18 years of age in Cinderford. The project gives young people opportunities to get started and progress in a whole range of music activities including learning an instrument, forming a band, singing, music technology, performing, and much more. They understand that the challenges faced by young people today are numerous and significant, and harness the power of music to support their personal development and well-being.The Drop creates a safe and inclusive space for young people to express themselves, develop confidence and self-belief, and build social connections.
Heavy Metal Therapy works with the heavy metal community to promote and support positive mental health. They support the music community by attending music/mental health events in a resource-sharing and welfare capacity, via their website, and social media pages.
Heavy Metal Therapy have received £1000 to continue and expand their work. Enabling them to have a greater presence at festivals, expand their peer support groups, and continue their mental health promotion work through development of new resources. Their main aim is to work within and alongside the heavy metal music community to support positive mental health promotion, therefore improving the health and well-being of community members.
Stay Up Late is a grassroots charity that enables adults with learning disabilities and autistic people to lead active social lives, and to make decisions about how they want to live their lives. They believe that all people with learning disabilities and autistic people are able to lead full and active social lives and enjoy the many, well-publicised benefits of having meaningful social interactions.
Stay Up Late have received £2000 towards their Gig Buddies Project in West Sussex. Gig Buddies aims to match up isolated people with learning disabilities and/or autism with a fully trained and DBS checked volunteer who shares the same interests so that they can attend mainstream live music and entertainment events together, and build an ongoing friendship. The project aims to improve the health and well-being of 100s of people in the region, by addressing social isolation and loneliness through creating friendships.
Katy Baker – Co-Founder, Metal For Good
“We are delighted to be supporting these three incredible organisations using music for real social change with communities who can benefit the most. We truly believe that the alternative community is one of the most inclusive and caring out there, and have experienced this first hand, meeting 1000s of supportive and generous rockers and metalheads over the last year. We’re excited to continue our mission of ‘Positive Change, One Riff at a Time!”
Dr Kate Quinn – Heavy Metal Therapy
“The funding we get from Metal for Good supports us to continue the work that we do with the heavy metal community to enhance mental wellbeing. It helps us to produce and share resources, get to events to spread the word, and continue our online peer-peer support.”
We are continuing our fundraising through 2024 and beyond, and plan to support more projects using music to change lives in the near future. You can find out more about future opportunities for funding by signing up to our newsletter below.
You can also get involved and support us through Metal Merch Day on the 20th October, find out more here.
