We had our first partner meeting yesterday for the Youth Music Mentoring scheme, which the Arts and Regeneration Unit will be coordinating. Following a successful 6 month pilot, which ran as part of the Gallery 37+ project, the scheme is to be expanded to run for the next two years.

Youth Music Mentors aims to improve the life chances of young people through music-based mentoring. Funded by DCMS, Youth Music Mentors provides young people, who need additional support, the opportunity to achieve musical and social outcomes, with support from a trained mentor.

The programme is being delivered by a range of partners across 16 areas of England, including Youth Music Action Zones, community music and arts organisations, Music Services and city councils.

Here in Leeds, the project is being coordinated by Leeds City Council and delivered by four partners:

The Old Chapel Studios

The Hunslet Club

Cloth Cat Studios

Lifeforce Productions

Each partner will recruit, coordinate and provide guidance, training and support to young people to become 'mentors', who will in turn support a number of 'mentees' in a range of skills including music production and engineering, CD production, radio, programming and production.

The young people involved as mentors will be offered the chance to gain their Bronze Arts Award, a nationally recognised vocational qualification.

It was great to meet everyone yesterday and we are really looking forward to working with them all on this project. This is the kind of project that can make a real difference to the lives of young people who have become disengaged as it uses the medium of music, in which many of them already have interests and talents, to help them develop, musically, personally and career-wise.

Do check out the partner websites to see what other services and activities they provide for the young people of Leeds.