10 years creating positive change

Lewisham Music at 10 (LM at 10) – 10 years creating positive change.

  

Award-winning youth charity marks a decade of impact, having supported more than 67,000 children and young people across Lewisham.

Lewisham, London – July 2026 Lewisham Music is celebrating its 10th anniversary as an independent charity with a year-long programme of events, performances and community activities as they look back at ‘10 years creating positive change’. 

  

Over the past decade, Lewisham Music has worked with more than 67,000 children and young people, using the power of music to inspire creativity, build confidence, improve wellbeing and create pathways into education, employment and the creative industries. 

  

  

          

    

Since becoming an independent charity in 2016, Lewisham Music has grown from its roots as the borough’s music service into an award-winning youth charity and a Principal Partner in the South East London Music Hub. Today, the charity delivers a diverse range of opportunities across schools, community settings and creative industries, ensuring that every child and young person can access high-quality music-making regardless of their background or circumstances. 

  

“These opportunities are a lifeline for our children!”

 

               

The anniversary celebrations will reflect on a decade of impact while looking ahead to the future, bringing together young people, alums, partners, supporters and the wider community who have helped shape the charity’s journey. 

          

At the heart of Lewisham Music’s work is a simple vision: that every child and young person in Lewisham should experience the power of music through accessible, inclusive programmes that inspire creativity and confidence. Over the last 10 years, that vision has been realised through thousands of lessons, performances, workshops, creative projects and career development opportunities that have transformed young lives.  

             

Over the last 10 years, Lewisham Music has championed youth voice, inclusion and equity, creating programmes that place young people at the centre of decision-making and ensuring music education remains accessible to those facing barriers to participation. From award-winning mental health initiatives and youth-led media projects to creative careers programmes and borough-wide performance opportunities, the charity has consistently demonstrated the role music can play in building happier, healthier communities. 

   

   

                 

                 

Since becoming an independent charity in 2016, Lewisham Music has worked with more than 67,000 children and young people, using the power of music to inspire creativity, improve wellbeing and create opportunities for young people across the borough. 

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“Ten years ago, we set out to ensure that every child and young person in Lewisham could experience the power of music. Since then, we’ve seen first-hand how music transforms lives, strengthens communities and opens doors.”

               

               

“We are proud to call Lewisham our home and even more proud of the tens of thousands of young people we’ve worked with, the partnerships we’ve nurtured and the impact we’ve created together. As we celebrate this milestone, we have our eyes firmly on the next decade and driving forward our mission to create positive change through music.”

Keith Sykes, Lewisham Music CEO 

               

               

 

    

    

“Lewisham Music has become one of the borough’s most important cultural organisations, creating opportunities for young people to thrive creatively, professionally and socially. Its commitment to inclusion, excellence, education and youth leadership has had a profound impact on thousands of lives.”

Jenetta Hurst, Lewisham Music Chair of Trustees 

               

                             

The LM at 10 celebration programme will feature performances, exhibitions, storytelling projects, alums activity and opportunities for supporters and former participants to reconnect with the charity and celebrate its legacy. 

          

As Lewisham Music enters its second decade, its commitment remains unchanged: to put young people first, break down barriers to participation, celebrate diversity and use music as a force for positive social change. 

             

For more information about LM at 10, upcoming events and ways to get involved, head to the LM at 10 landing page below. 

    

ENDS

    

For enquiries about Lewisham Music please contact Robbie Hurst, Marketing and Communications Manager. 

    

    

   

 

                               

                               

About Lewisham Music

Lewisham Music is an award-winning youth charity that creates positive change in young people’s lives through music. Working across schools and communities, the charity delivers inclusive, high-quality music programmes that support learning, wellbeing, progression and creative careers. Since becoming an independent charity in 2016, Lewisham Music has worked with more than 67,000 children and young people across the London Borough of Lewisham. 

             

Last year alone, Lewisham Music delivered a diverse range of musical activity to over 6700 children and young people across 76 Lewisham schools, community settings and from The Fellowship, our state-of-the-art community music venue situated in the heart of the Bellingham Estate, SE6, where they have performance space, band rooms, a radio broadcasting studio, and a production studio. 

    

Working with industry professional musicians, practitioners and artists, Lewisham Music’s creative learning programmes offer everyone the opportunity to progress their passion for music and develop their skills and self-confidence – from tuition and groups for young people in schools, to programmes for aspiring young creatives. 

     

Lewisham Music has close links and support from local Lewisham artists, including Ray BLK (R&B singer-songwriter), Theon Cross (jazz Tuba sensation), and Novelist (grime MC and producer). 

    

    

   

   

Awards and achievements

Lewisham Music won the ‘Collaboration of the Year Award’ at the London Youth Awards 2025 and the ‘Youth Initiative of the Year Award’ at the Music Mark Awards 2025 for Radio Lewisham, a diverse youth-led radio station giving a platform for all young people in the borough to share their views and creativity. 

             

Lewisham Music won the ‘Youth Initiative of the Year Award’ at the Music Mark Awards 2023 for their youth-led podcast series, Front Line Young Minds which explores the connection between music and young people’s mental health. 

    

Lewisham Music won the ‘The Try Something New Award’ at the London Youth Awards 2022 for Sonic Minds, their two-year creative music project working with care experienced and displaced young people allowing them to share their stories, celebrate their identity and express themselves through music. 

     

                

 

                             

To mark 10 years, Lewisham Music is putting on loads of gigs, events and projects for the community. Some highlights include…

            

Crystal Palace Community Concert Takeover (July 2026) Lewisham Music’s Live Voices Choirs and community groups take over the main stage. 

              

Rooftop Sessions (July 2026) Three evenings spotlighting Lewisham’s emerging artists on The Fellowship rooftop. 

             

Turning of the Year (November 2026) Young vocalists from Lewisham schools come together in a special three-night concert featuring a commissioned anniversary work. 

              

10 Year Takeover Gig (December 2026) A celebratory night of live music at The Fellowship Inn, Bellingham. 

             

Big Give BIG 10 Fundraiser (December 2026) A matched fundraising campaign to support the development of safe and accessible spaces for young people. 

    

The anniversary year also features a community callout for alums and participants to share their stories, a zine project celebrating Lewisham’s musical history, and sponsorship opportunities for organisations who wish to stand alongside the charity’s mission. 

    

    

   

   

A decade of numbers

Over the last decade, the charity has supported 67,000+ young people, delivered 250 performances involving around 27,000 young performers, provided 17,500 musical instrument loans, and delivered more than 10,200 free individual music lessons to children from low-income families. 

             

Through bursaries, subsidies and targeted support, Lewisham Music has helped 7,820 young people overcome barriers to participation, while delivering 5,500+ hours of free community music workshops and 3,000 hours of tuition in Lewisham’s special schools. 

    

The charity’s impact extends beyond young people. Over the last 10 years, Lewisham Music has delivered or supported 1,710+ hours of professional development, trained 538 music education professionals, worked alongside 84 partner organisations, won 5 national awards, and brought more than £10 million in funding and income into the local economy.

    

 

 

 

 

    

   

         

We hope you can come and celebrate with us over the next year, whilst you’re here please feel free to explore who we are and what we do below.

        

10 years of community. 10 years creating positive change.