As we move towards the festive season, our thoughts turn to those who are less fortunate, in particular the young people in our community. Emerging evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic suggests that young people in the UK are feeling more anxious than they did before the outbreak, a trend which is up to 10% higher for people from black and mixed-race communities. Our local British-Bangladeshi communities are amongst some of the most vulnerable in the UK and have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, with above-average rates of infection and mortality. Now, as young people are returning to education, they will not only be navigating a new world at school, but processing the trauma they have lived through.
So, what can we do to help? This year we’ve decided to focus our Big Give Christmas Challenge campaign on our upcoming project; Music & Well-being for Children and Young People. Spitalfields Music intends to be at the forefront of initiating creative ways for young people in East London to navigate and process these challenges through music-making workshops, which will boost their self-esteem and communication skills after a period of lockdown and significant trauma. Between 1st and 8th of December, we are aiming to raise £40,000 to enable our music and well-being projects across two schools in Tower Hamlets in 2021. Thanks to The Childhood Trust and a generous individual, all donations to Spitalfields Music during this period will be doubled if you donate online via theBigGive.org.uk
Your support will go directly towards paying our fantastic music leaders, or in helping us create online, virtual platforms in response to the current situation. From 12.00pm on 1st December to 12.00pm on 8th December, head over to our page on The Big Give website and find out how to donate.