A HOUSING company has helped to fund a weekly music group for young people.

The £4,400 from the Gateshead Housing Company grant has enabled Birtley Community Association, in Birtley, near Chester-le-Street, to run the music group on Tuesday evenings.

The music group for 11 to 19-year-olds is run by a combination of volunteers and qualified youth workers from North East Youth and attracts up to 30 participants each week.

Working primarily with youngsters from the social housing estates of Elisabethville and Portmeads, the group aims to engage with otherwise hard-to-reach young people who would benefit from youth worker interaction.

The Birtley Community Centre on Ravensworth Road in the Elisabethville Estate is a registered charity and runs a range of activities. More than 700 people participate in the centre’s activities each year.

Carol Smith of the Birtley Community Association said: “By encouraging young people to interact through music, our youth workers and volunteers can reach out to those who will benefit from extra support.”

Chris Hardy, estate officer at The Gateshead Housing Company said: “It’s great to see young people benefitting from the Community Fund.

“The group is making a big difference to young people in Birtley and this funding will enable more young people to get involved in the music programme.”

Jon Goodwin, senior philanthropy advisor at the Community Foundation said: “Supporting activity that improves the health and wellbeing of young people from the housing company’s estates is one of the key priorities for the fund. “The fund has made grants of nearly half a million pounds over the last ten years with more than 100 community groups benefitting.”

For more information email birtleycommunityassociation@yahoo.co.uk or call: 0191 410 2343