Music to be used to combat reoffending in young people

Tags: charity | funding | music | youth activity

Music is going to be used as a tool to try and reduce reoffending rates among young people.

The scheme, run by charity Live Music Now, is one of 13 projects involving young people that have been awarded £5.5m of Big Lottery Fund Grants.

The project, run in conjunction with academics at University of the West of England, Bristol, has received £36,121 and will study the effects that music has on the behaviour of 120 young offenders over three years.

Patsy Lang, project director at Live Music Now SW, said: "By following individuals' lives after our music programmes end, we will be able to see and document how their pathways have been changed by musical interventions. We hope to uncover new aspects of musical influence beyond our current experience over the three-year study."

Other projects to be handed money include a four-year investigation by charity Catch 22 into how schools, health trusts and councils can improve services for young people in care. The project, which also focuses on improving support and care for children in care as they reach adulthood, received £500,000.

Sir Clive Booth, Big Lottery Fund chairman, said: "We are very pleased to be supporting these very worthwhile research projects, which could make such a big difference to many children and young people, and help build a brighter future for them. There is no limit to the future benefits we could see from social research projects like these."

In total, £20m was handed out to 56 research projects.