Youth Music launches Rescue the Roots campaign to save grassroots projects: ‘The time for action is now'

Independent

26-03-2025

A leading UK charity has launched an ambitious fundraising campaign to combat the crisis threatening grassroots music projects, backed by artists including Rizzle Kicks' Jordan Stephens and his partner, pop star JADE.
The latest research has painted a stark picture for grassroots music in Britain, with two in five (41 per cent) youth music projects at risk of closure. Youth Music has warned that young people across eight UK regions will lose access to grassroots projects within the next decade.
Its new campaign, Rescue the Roots, calls on individuals and organisations to help raise funds that will be distributed to projects in urgent need of support. Youth Music will match every pound raised up to £1m, to create a total of £2m.
Stephens, who credits his success to grassroots youth music projects, said that the UK music scene was in 'big trouble' as he described those spaces as places for young people to 'build community, hone their passions and find purpose'.
He continued: 'Rescue the Roots isn't just a phrase, it's a call to arms and a plea for fundraising support – it is the most important thing we can do to safeguard the next generation of musical talent. If we don't, there will be no new artists, no fresh sounds, no future for UK music. Please help us Rescue the Roots before it's too late.'
Matt Griffiths, Youth Music CEO, says: 'The crisis facing grassroots youth music projects is at breaking point. The lack of funding available is at critically low levels and the threat of closure for many is more imminent than ever. We cannot overstate what the closure of these incredible community projects means to not only the young people that they support, but also to the UK economy as a whole. In a turbulent time across the UK, music as a vehicle for social change is needed more than ever.
'Unlike many other organisations who raise alarms, we are not just highlighting the problem - we are actively working on solutions, including putting £1m from our reserves towards the Rescue the Roots campaign. The campaign aims to bring the whole industry together to address this issue head-on. From fundraising and co-investment to encouraging social entrepreneurship and developing workforce opportunities through our Industry Connect coalition, we're implementing concrete steps to save grassroots youth music.'
He added: 'We're not just asking for change - we're making it happen. The time for action is now, and we urge you all to join us in safeguarding the future of UK music and making it more diverse, more accessible and more equitable for young people.'
The announcement comes after British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran shared an urgent open letter to prime minister Keir Starmer and his government, calling for immediate and long-term funding of music education in the UK
He and more than 600 other artists and industry leaders, including Harry Styles, Elton John, Stormzy, Robert Plant and Eric Clapton, are appealing for a £250m UK music education package this spring to repair 'decades of dismantling music'.
'As an industry, we bring in £7.6bn into the UK economy, yet the next generation is not there to take the reins,' Sheeran said.
In his letter, the Grammy-winning artist – who is one of Britain's most successful music exports – cited recent speeches by the jazz group Ezra Collective and rising star Myles Smith at the 2025 Brit Awards where they championed grassroots spaces and credited them with their success.
Mark Davyd, CEO of the Music Venue Trust, told The Independent: 'Spaces offering live music experiences and music making opportunities share many similar characteristics over the last few years; an extraordinary increase in third party costs, a funding crisis, local authority finances under immense pressure and rapidly escalating staff costs.
'What's happening to our grassroots music venues is also happening to our youth centres, community spaces, and to the many great projects Youth Music support.'