Lewisham Music hits 10 years creating positive change in young people’s lives through music.
Lewisham Music is an award-winning youth charity creating positive change in young people’s lives through music. Based in Lewisham, South East London, we believe every child and young person should have the opportunity to make, shape and share music, whatever their background or circumstances.
Since becoming an independent charity 10 years ago, Lewisham Music has helped shape the music landscape in the borough, supporting over 67,000 young people and putting inclusion, diversity, equity and access at the heart of our work. Youth voice drives everything we do, and over the years we’ve developed innovative youth-led projects like Radio Lewisham, Front Line Young Minds and Creative Futures, giving young people real-world opportunities to create, perform and lead.
Today, Lewisham Music is a multi-award winning charity, Principal Partner in the South East London Music Hub, and a Youth Music IDEA Champion, helping break down barriers and amplify underrepresented voices.
Over the past decade we’ve worked side by side with young people, schools, communities and partner organisations, delivering high-quality music programmes that support creativity, confidence, wellbeing and self-expression. From lessons and live performance opportunities to music technology and creative careers projects, young people are supported every step of the way.
Music should be accessible to everyone and we’re here to make sure that happens.
To celebrate 10 years of being a charity we’ll be doing what we do best, putting on loads of gigs, events and projects for the community, come and check out what’s coming up below and see how you can get involved.
“These opportunities are a lifeline for our children!”
Come along to one of our events over the next year, not all of them will be open to the public, but if they are then come and celebrate with us! We'll be updating ticket links as they are ready so please keep an eye out.
Community and alums callout
If you have ever been part of the Lewisham Music community then we'd love to hear from you to find out what you're up to now and how Lewisham Music had a positive impact on you. Details about how to share your stories will be coming at you very soon!
LM at 10 Zine
Send us your stories, photos, artwork celebrating the vibrant history of music in Lewisham.
Sponsor an event
By sponsoring one of our live events, you’ll be directly supporting the participation of hundreds of young performers, helping us create a truly unforgettable experience for families, schools, and the wider community. If you'd like to sponsor an event, please get in touch with Ania, our Director of Community Programmes.
Be part of our story and fundraise for us and help support another 10 years (and beyond) of Lewisham Music. Ideas for community fundraising: sponsored events, charity concerts, birthday fundraisers, etc. If you need some inspiration then download our fundraising pack below.
Help support another 10 years (and beyond!) of Lewisham Music! Please click the button below which will take you to our campaign page on the Charities Aid Foundation website where you can make a one-off or regular donation. Don’t forget to add Gift Aid to your donation, this means we receive an extra 25% on top of anything you donate.
Lewisham Council approves the transfer of Lewisham Music Service & Hub into an independent charity, and we become Lewisham Music on 1 April 2017. Plans are announced to move into The Fellowship, but for now we relocate to The Green Man thanks to Phoenix Community Housing.
2018
Exciting times
Focus shifts towards fundraising, governance development and expanding partnerships following independence. Exciting things begin to develop, including new cross-genre creative projects, music production projects for excluded and looked after children, and composition projects focusing on women in music.
2019
A new home
We move to our new home at The Fellowship in Bellingham, a £4m Heritage Lottery Fund development managed by Phoenix Community Housing. We now have rehearsal spaces, band rooms, and a new hi-spec music studio. Appointed new CEO Charly Richardson. Expanded programmes including Lewisham Young Producers, Live Voices Choirs and Fellowship Music Collective. 1000 young people from Lewisham Music and school groups perform at the Southbank Centre.
2020
Lewisham keeps making music
The Fellowship fit-out thanks to funding from the Young Mayor’s Fund. First ever Animate project. Launch of Lewisham Young Producers funded by Matthew Nicholls Trust. Music Lab - an action research project documenting youth voice within classical music. Looked After Children podcast sharing stories of care-experienced young people in Lewisham. We complete Music Masters I’M IN (EDI) programme.
We delivered 5,000+ hours of online music activity during the pandemic, supporting over 2,000 young people. We launched Lewisham Lounge Fest, our first ever online music festival. Our Zoom Choir brings 100 young people together each week to sing online! First ever Music Hub to join Awards for Young Musicians Furthering Talent programme.
2021
Sonic Minds
Expanded wellbeing-focused and inclusion-led programmes. This included 'Sonic Minds', a major Youth Music-funded mental health and creative wellbeing project supporting 350+ displaced and care-experienced young people. Receive Sony Music Social Justice Fund grant. We start Amplifying Voices, an 18-month EDI development programme. We become a registered Jack Petchey Awards Centre. Kickstart placement, supporting unemployed young people into work. First ever Fellowship Music Collective. New Levels talent development programme.
2022
We won!
Created ‘The Sonic Mind’, an interactive sound sculpture with artist Gawain Hewitt. Won ‘The Try Something New Award’ at the London Youth Awards. Young creatives, Anwar and Dominic receive our first ever Jack Petchey Awards. We present at the Music and Drama Expo on music and mental health. Fellowship Fest - filming music videos for 3 emerging artists. Funded for A Big Conversation, a youth-led project exploring music and mental health. Joined Youth Music’s IDEA programme. First ever Lewisham Music takeover gig. Sonic Minds public tour.
2023
Front Line Young Minds
We launch ‘Front Line Young Minds’ podcast series. We pick up the ‘Youth Initiative of the Year Award’ at the Music Mark Awards 2023. Ziggy performs at the London Youth Awards and Lewisham Vocal Collective (AKA L.V.C) make it to the final Future Makers at Royal Albert Hall. Bellingham turns 100 and we launch a participatory arts project exploring the stories of the local community through photo, film, podcast, and the creation of new music.
2024
Creative Futures
New five-year funding partnership with The Merchant Taylors' Foundation. Creative Futures launches. Radio Lewisham launches. Holiday Activity Fund programme. A Big Conversation research project. Named as a Youth Music IDEA Champion. Published major EDI strategy. Resources for Autism move into The Fellowship. 30 years of Turning of the Year.
2025
BIG change
Keith Sykes takes over as CEO. Our first ever Rooftop Sessions. Lewisham Music announces three new Lead Schools for Music. Radio Lewisham launches first schedule with 17 new weekly shows. LEWISHAM: Past, present, future radio show. Lewisham Youth Brain Health Project wins an award. Radio Lewisham picks up 2 awards!
2026
Here we are
Radio Lewisham launches 2026/27 schedule with 25 weekly shows. LVC takeover Radio Lewisham to talk about the impact the group and music has had on their lives. Noize Night. School impact filming project. LVC, Rap and Lyricism Collective, Radio Lewisham takeover Horniman Lates. Launch of 'Lewisham Makes Music Awards'. LVC open the London Youth Awards. Moulin Rouge workshop and theatre visit. DJ Lab launches. Collaboration with NU Jam Sessions with young people performing at their first ever jam.
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.
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10 years creating positive change
Lewisham Music at 10 (LM at 10) - 10 years creating positive change. Award-winning youth charity marks a decade…
