In the latest edition of the BRIT Trust Diaries, senior team leader Victoria Ram at Scottish charity Healthy n Happy Community Development Trust explains how BRIT Trust funding will support a new rap project for young people in the South Lanarkshire towns of Cambuslang and Rutherglen (CamGlen)...
Healthy n Happy is absolutely delighted to have received grant funding from The BRIT Trust to support an exciting new rap project they are developing for young people of all backgrounds, aged 16–25 in CamGlen.
For over 25 years, Healthy n Happy has worked at the very heart of the Cambuslang and Rutherglen communities, which are located just southeast of Glasgow.
They have a simple but hugely important mission: to tackle inequality, reduce isolation, and to create opportunities for local people to connect, grow and thrive. They know that music and its power to bring people together can help them to achieve this.
Through community-led programmes, events and partnerships, they aim to ensure that everyone in CamGlen has access to opportunities that improve wellbeing and life chances.
Thanks to the support of The BRIT Trust, they will deliver a 10-week rap project based at their community venue, Number 18. The project will provide young adults with the opportunity to work alongside experienced musicians, local rapper Johnny Cypher and a professional producer to write, develop and record their own original rap track.
Participants will gain hands-on experience in lyric writing, performance skills, music production and recording techniques, building both creative confidence and transferable skills along the way.
Projects like this not only nurture talent, but they also give young people a platform to share their voice and tell their stories
Victoria Ram
The programme will culminate in a special launch event for family and friends, where participants will perform and celebrate their achievements. Their finished track will also be broadcast on their community radio station, CamGlen Radio – giving them the invaluable experience of sharing their work with a wider audience.
Number 18 is a vibrant community venue in the heart of Rutherglen, hosting a wide range of accessible classes, workshops and events for all ages. With CamGlen Radio occupying the top floor of the building, the venue has a strong musical presence, regularly welcoming live bands and music events. As part of this project, participants will also utilise the professional radio studios to record their tracks — adding an authentic and inspiring dimension to their experience.
This is such a fantastic opportunity for young people in CamGlen to explore their creativity, build confidence and to develop new skills in a supportive, professional environment.
Healthy n Happy are incredibly grateful to The BRIT Trust, and to the music industry that it’s a part of, for making this valuable activity possible. Projects like this not only nurture talent, but they also give young people a platform to share their voice and tell their stories. Perhaps most of all, they help to build confidence, create hope, and fire aspiration.
Healthy n Happy are thrilled to bring this opportunity to their community and look forward to seeing — and hearing — the incredible work their young participants will create. Who knows? Perhaps it will inspire a young talent to set off on a creative journey that will one day see them perform at The BRIT Awards.
To learn more about Healthy n Happy, visit their website www.healthynhappy.org.uk
