A NEW Rural Music Academy in Somerset has received a huge funding boost thanks to a grant from The National Foundation for Youth Music.

The Rural Music Network project delivered by Somerset Rural Youth Project has been awarded a grant of £73,500, as part of a fund to help support music in the South-West.

Somerset Rural Youth Project is part of Youth Music, an academy which supports music projects in the south-west working with young people in challenging circumstances.

The academy was awarded £374,500 for projects in the region – bringing Youth Music’s total aid over the last year in the south-west to £1,128,000.

Steve Baker, Team Leader for Somerset Rural Youth Project says: “We are really excited that Youth Music is supporting us to offer this project to young people in Somerset.

"Our organisation works with around 2,500 young people every year and many of them are rurally isolated and often unable to access music-making activities.

"This project will enable us to break down boundaries and create opportunities for young people in rural areas to develop their music career opportunities."