GRASSROOTS CARDIFF YOUTH PROJECT NEEDS YOU!

Project Aim

Help Grassroots (Cardiff) Ltd maintain vital support services for young people as it has done for more than 30 years.

Who are we?

Grassroots (Cardiff) Ltd is a registered charity which aims to meet the needs of young people 16-25 years old.

Through Grassroots' doors will walk a young person straight out of care, a Big Issue seller, a teenage mum with two kids, a young man just out of prison, a transgender teenager chucked out of the family home, a vulnerable teenager with a black eye and mental health issues, an asylum seeker who's heard about our music studio. These young people are all in need of support and Grassroots will phone a hostel for them, find them a bed for the night, explain why the Job Centre won't pay them. The real work of the project starts when we listen to their problems.

We offer advice and support and endeavour to instil optimism, promote self-awareness and self-worth in young people who often see themselves in a negative light. We offer training and workshops in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere in Music, Performance, Video & Digital Arts. Young people can gain qualifications or progress to more advanced facilities. We support and enable clients to take control of their lives and celebrate their achievements.

What do we provide?

There is a low cost Coffee Bar where young people are welcome to socialise or find out more about current activities or workshops. The Information, Support & Guidance Office provides a free drop-in service, where youth specific advice is available around any issue facing a client. The Project aims to listen to young people's problems and help solve them together.

Often dealing with young people who face extreme poverty, adversity and despair, we offer positive relationships, support and creative options to all young people whatever their gender, sexuality, social or mental health status.

Grassroots is not just about keeping kids off the streets, but engaging them in worthwhile activity, making them resilient and giving them a meaningful role to play in society.

Grassroots has been instrumental in the early careers of world-famous artists such as Cerys Matthews, Super Furry Animals, Manic Street Preachers, Stereophonics, Kosheen, Bullet For My Valentine, Astroid Boys and many many others. 

Testimonials

"Grassroots has shaped me into the man I am today, through them I have found positivity and the importance of ones man words and their effect on others. Because of Grassroots I enter the world everyday with the attitude to help people as much as I can."

[Pip - 20 yrs old]

"People from broken homes, lost and trying to find somewhere to fit in, some motivation, someone to believe in them and a sense of belonging. Grassroots gave that to people, it gave that to me."

[Ryan - 25 yrs old]

"They provided me with a ton of opportunities that helped me gain the confidence and experience to take control of my career in music."

[Lloyd - 21 yrs old]

"I have had continuous support from Grassroots and have built a really good relationship with the team. The way they work with the young people is truly inspiring, they are down to earth, kind hearted people who make a big difference in a lot of young lives."

[Jamie - 21 yrs old]

"Grassroots has been my rock through everything, making music and just being there to listen to me when I need to rant. The staff get me more than anyone and they are amazing people."

[Penelope - 22 yrs old]

"I went to grassroots when I was 16/17 and regularly used the music facilities and generally socialised there into my 20s. It gave me the opportunity to learn loads of skills that I couldnt have picked up anywhere else at such an early age. It led me to becoming a musician and youth worker and hopefully Ive been able to pass on these skills to the hundreds of young people I have worked with over the past 20 years."

[Bud - 40 yrs old]

Why are we asking for your help?

Due to proposed funding reductions within Cardiff County Council, the project is facing a massive challenge to maintain its current services to those in society that often have no other place to go. 

We are currently working with up to 100 young people a week often in crisis and in grave need of support and this number is increasing every day. We have recently lost two valuable staff members and we are in danger of further staff reductions if the current proposals go through. This will severely affect our ability to offer advice, support and guidance, along with our range of creative learning activities to young people in Cardiff. 

While we are looking into every other avenue of obtaining alternative funding, please help us in our fight to continue to provide this vital service to the young people of Cardiff and surrounding areas. 

The money we raise will be used to maintain our staff team at its current level in order that we can continue to provide a service for young people alongside spending time focusing on more long term funding sources such as Comic Relief, The Big Lottery etc, for the long term future of our Project.

UPCOMING GRASSROOTS CROWDFUNDER EVENTS

25/6 FINAL PUSH CROWDFUNDER DAY - An in-house fundraising party in our legendary Coffee Bar with big raffle prizes and lots of sales from cakes to children's toys and from artwork to records!

25/6 HipHop & DnB Charity Event For Grassroots - Karma Club Cardiff with DJ Jaffa, Darren Fordy Ford, Pete MrPedro Salter & guests