Power the next phase of the Mill

Totnes, Devon, United Kingdom

£775

Target: £50,000

We have raised 1% of our target 1%

10 supporters

79 days left



Aim

Help us transform the Mill into an outstanding grassroots venue with better sound, space and equipment for our young people to grow


Jamming Station

Empowering young people through music since 2012

Help us power the next phase at The Mill

For many young people, this is the one place they feel they belong.
Help us turn The Mill into a fully equipped youth music venue.

The Big Picture

Since moving into The Mill in 2022, our reach has grown by over 600%.

Jamming Station has grown from a small weekly session into a thriving youth music community. Each week, over 100 young people aged 10 to 25 come through our doors to write, play, perform and connect. Many are neurodivergent, experiencing anxiety, or struggling in mainstream education. 

We are already expanding our programme and reach so we can support even more young people, especially those who cannot access opportunities financially, who live in rural areas, or who learn differently, as they grow into themselves and their potential.

For many, this is the place where they feel they belong, where they know they are placed at the heart of the project growing it into what it needs to be

What we have achieved since moving into The Mill is remarkable (see the ‘read more’ section)...

We are now ready for Phase Two

Young people tell us they need somewhere safe to drop in, to grab a toastie and feel welcome. And others are wanting an accessible pathway to develop their music, perform live and be taken seriously as artists.

The Mill can be both. A place to belong. And a place to go further.

In order to achieve this we need to transform The Mill into:

  • a safe, welcoming social space
  • a fully equipped grassroots music venue
  • a place where young people can rehearse, perform and grow
  • develop practical skills
  • gain real world experience
  • imagine new possibilities for their future

We are raising funds to upgrade the performance space, equipment and social areas so The Mill can fully operate as a youth music venue.

Here’s exactly what your support will help us achieve:

£20,000 Safe, Warm and Ready

  • Fire alarm system and fire doors
  • Stage lighting and basic setup
  • PA system (woop woop)
  • Soundproofing and monitoring (our ears will thank you!)

£35,000 A Space to Belong & to Look after

(this is where it gets exciting)

  • Dedicated building manager onsite 
  • New website with integrated booking system
  • Safe storage for equipment
  • Upgrade, maintenance and repair of music instruments
  • Security camera
  • Upgrade cafe and Attic Bar areas
  • Comfortable chillout sensory spaces
  • Further acoustic treatment throughout the building
  • DJing provision and electronic music making

£45,000+ A Proper Youth Music Venue

This is where it’s truly game changing: 

  • Kickstart a youth employability cafe
  • Event management training for young people 
  • Purchase a video camera
  • Video and audio editing suite and software
  • Develop outdoor garden areas with shelter, lighting, furniture and natural screening

Why This Matters Now

Without this investment, we risk limiting access at a time when demand is growing.

Youth services are shrinking and funding for the arts is harder to access.

At the same time, young people need safe, creative spaces more than ever.

Totnes has lost its permanent youth club.

We have the space.
Now we need to make it fully work 7 nights (and days!) a week

What people say

“For a child with additional needs, being celebrated and having people cheer them on is extraordinary.”
Parent

“Music is a powerful way to communicate feelings, and Jamming Station creates an opportunity for everyone to take part.”
Devon Youth Council

Join us

Every contribution helps us to create a space where young people can:

  • feel safe
  • be creative
  • build confidence
  • find their people

Help us build something that will change lives for years to come.

Donate. Share. Be part of it.

Ps: Donations may be matched by a funder meaning your support could go twice as far!

READ MORE…

The difference we make

Jamming Station is more than a music project. It is a vital part of the local support network for young people.

Each week, over 100 young people aged 10 to 25 come through our doors. Many are navigating anxiety, neurodivergence, rural isolation or challenges in mainstream education.

Over the past year, we have delivered:

  • over 200 band sessions
  • more than 100 emerging artist rehearsals
  • regular mentoring, recording and performance opportunities
  • over 10 live showcases connecting young people with real audiences and the wider community

This consistent, relationship-based support creates meaningful change.

From recent feedback:

  • 80% of young people reported increased confidence in self expression
  • 85% developed social confidence
  • 65% felt more listened to and empowered in their lives

For many young people, this is early intervention in action. A place where they can reconnect with themselves and others before challenges escalate.

“This is the one time in the week we don’t have to push him to leave the house. Jamming Station has given him a tribe.”
Parent

Our work also benefits the wider community

The Mill is a shared space used for rehearsals, workshops, events and partnerships with local organisations. We work alongside schools, youth services and wellbeing providers to ensure young people are supported in a joined-up way. As The Mill develops, young people will increasingly take on supported roles within events, hospitality, technical production and venue operations, gaining hands on experience in a real working environment.

By investing in The Mill, we are strengthening a community asset that:

  • reduces social isolation
  • supports mental health and wellbeing
  • creates pathways into skills, training and employment
  • provides a safe, positive alternative to riskier environments and creates pathways into creative industries, volunteering and employment opportunities.

Through music, event production and hospitality opportunities, young people gain practical experience, develop transferable skills and access opportunities they may not otherwise afford.

We work particularly with young people facing barriers including financial hardship, rural isolation and challenges in education, helping them build resilience, independence and a sense of future possibility.

This is a sustainable, place-based model

Young people are not only participants. They are contributors. Through our Youth Steering Group, they help shape decisions, influence design and take on leadership roles within the project.

Jamming Station is not just somewhere young people go.

It is part of a wider ecosystem that helps them feel connected, capable and valued within their community.

We recently won an award from the Devon Youth Council of Devon County Council. Amongst 320 grant holders Jamming Station was voted as the project that most embodied many of the key issues which the grant was designed to address, in terms of wellbeing, learning new skills, inclusivity, challenging isolation and providing an easily accessible activity:

‘Music is a good way to communicate your feelings and Jamming Station is a great organisation to help do that. They provide an incredible opportunity for all who want to take part, no matter who they are or the abilities that they have. Creativity is a universal language which we can all understand but it is not promoted enough in schools. Overall we picked Jamming Station because it directly solves the issues that young people are facing by fulfilling all the criteria that we set, based on our research, including providing an activity to do at the weekend.’ 

The Devon Youth Council



Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 19th September 2026 at 9:51am


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