As part of the BRIT Trust’s partnership with the Football Foundation’s Kickz scheme, young people in the West Midlands will be mixing music at West Bromwich Albion’s Community programme. £9,800.00 of funding from the BRIT Trust has been invested in a new state-of-the-art recording studio at The Hawthorns’ ground, Halfords Lane.
West Bromwich West MP, Adrian Bailey, officially launched the studio yesterday to an audience of Football Foundation, BRIT Trust and West Brom representatives. Kickz students then performed for the group and demonstrated their talents in the studio.
Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive of the BPI, whose charitable arm is the BRIT Trust, said: "Music and football are two important activities in young people's lives and so we're delighted to be working with Kickz to help young people in disadvantaged communities discover the positive role music can play for them.
"Record companies – like football clubs – invest hundreds of millions of pounds into new talent every year and give thousands of young people the chance to pursue a career doing something they love.”
"The significant donation by the BRIT Trust to West Bromwich Albion’s Kickz programme and elsewhere around the country will ensure that young people looking to develop their music-making will have access to better facilities, equipment and mentoring.
"We're looking forward immensely to furthering our involvement in Kickz and finding other ways in which we can work with the world of football to reach out to help young people discover and develop their talent."
Rob Lake, Albion’s Community Programme Director, added: “The recording studio is a fantastic new facility. We are now actively seeking further partnership work to add to our existing projects to ensure we maximise the use of the studio at all times.”
Kickz is a national programme administered by the Football Foundation which aims to develop the potential of 12-18 year olds with a view to creating safer, stronger and more respectful communities by providing youngsters with enticing alternatives to crime and anti-social behaviour.
To date the BRIT Trust has funded Kickz music projects run by Newcastle, Sunderland, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and also West Brom. Bids for the next round of funding are currently being considered and the successful clubs will be announced later in the year.
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For more information please call Sarah Beyer on 0207 803 1395 or email sarah.beyer@bpi.co.uk.
Notes to Editors
About the BPI
The BPI represents the UK recorded music business, and is a trade organisation funded by its members - which include the UK's four major record labels and hundreds of independent music companies. BPI members account for more than 90% of all recorded music sold in the UK, and globally the UK's recorded music market is the third biggest. Its work covers protection (anti-piracy, lobbying), promotion (the charts, industry stats, the BRITs) and support & representation (events & services for members, media relations).
The BPI also organizes the annual BRITs show and the organising company, BRIT Awards Limited, is a fully owned subsidiary of the BPI. Proceeds of the show go to The BRIT Trust, the charitable arm of the BPI that has donated almost £15m to charitable causes since its foundation in 1989.
For more info on the BPI and what it does, visit - http://www.bpi.co.uk/
About Kickz
The Kickz programme is administered by the Football Foundation and, by using the power of football and the appeal of professional clubs, targets some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country. Kickz offers 12-18 year olds the chance to take part in positive activity three nights a week, 48 weeks of the year.
The Kickz concept was born out of discussions between the Metropolitan Police and the Football Industry. It was piloted at Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham and Brentford Football Clubs in April 2006, and Manchester City from August 2006.
Government support for the programme, through the Respect Task Force saw the programme extend nationally and led to the involvement of the Association of Chief Police Officers and Association of Police Authorities. The programme name and logo Kickz – Goals Thru Football was designed by participants on the programme.
With Funding from HM Treasury via the Football Foundation and additional support from the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS), the youth volunteering charity v, the respect Task Force and the Department of Health, 25 Kickz projects were launched at clubs nationally during the 2006/2007 season.
When clubs wish to offer music activities as part of the programme, the Kickz team and the young people submit bids to the BRIT Trust who then fund the most creative and long-term.