After benefitting from Nottingham Charity Base 51’s service, one young man has spoken out about how the charity’s new recording studios will help other young people. Now 24, Jordan Bestwood grew up in care and has been reflecting on how the charity has helped him.
Base 51 formed in 1993 and it continues to help hundreds of children in the city. Located at 29-31 Castle Gate, the charity launched their new recording studios on November 3.
The studios will be for those aged 15-21 and don’t have to be used by those who use the charity. Young people will learn a range of skills such as music production, podcasting, recording, lyric writing, film making, editing and more.
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Jordan goes by the stage name ‘Jay Cee’. He has received support from Base 51 since the age of 16, benefitting from NGY, the charity’s youth club.
He spoke about how the new recording studio will inspire young people and said: “I started off at NGY at 16, when I first came, I was immature but I was humbled by those around me. I’m now looking at the youth and seeing what we can create.
"The kids that come here are very smart. We want to create music but at the same time let people express what they have gone through. Lyrically, I’ve improved massively and this recording studio will help them [other young people].”
Jay Cee has released songs - and his Fanta Twist hit has racked up thousands of views on YouTube. He continued and said: “I think the recording studio will help people especially if they have a difficult home life or things like that.”
The studio sessions will take place in the recording studio on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays from 5pm-8pm. The price to use the studios is available on request.
Jenisha Doyle is the programme manager for the charity. Jenisha has worked for the charity since 2001.
She said: “Base 51 gives young people a safe space, we’ve had an influx of young people with safeguarding concerns. "The recording studios are a new opportunity young people can use to get into music and it will give them the opportunity to write and perform.
“It’ll be good for their confidence and self esteem, it’ll be where their journey starts.” Jenisha spoke about some of her main concerns recently: “Young people not having access to hot food or devices to do their homework is concerning, they may not have hot water as bills rise and that’s what we’re here for.
“We get young people who are in temporary accommodation or hotel rooms with no cooking facilities so when they come here they can get a hot meal, use the laundry rooms, shower rooms and there’s laptops for them to do their homework.”
The Base 51 premises also hold laundry rooms, a food bank, clothes bank and more. Mentor ‘Stan’ will be overseeing many of the young people in the recording studio.
Stan said the studios are a “long time coming.” He added: “Young people need an outlet and to do this without funding, they’d be paying about £50 or £60 a session. I was once one of these lot, I got kicked out of school and these [the recording studio] are good not just for young people because I’m learning off of the young people all the time too.”
Stan went on to say young people being around others in the studios will benefit them as they’re not on their phones and interacting physically. He said: “I believe that people charge off people.
“Everyone here gets on and they’re so different but all have the same intentions. It’s nice that this is a place for people of the city.”
The charity received £7,9613.33 from the Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) towards opening the studios. The Nottingham Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry said she was pleased to support the new recording studios.
After hearing performances from young people, she spoke about why services like Base 51 are needed. Mrs Henry said: “I think that young people having somewhere to go, something to do and someone trusted to go to is so important. It changes people's lives this place. It's a safe, welcoming space.
“I have three priorities and prevention has to be the most important. There are young people who are victims or vulnerable and this will help them recover.”
On November 6, the charity is having a Sunday Sessions event at Binks Yard, the all-day dining, drinking and entertainment venue at the Island Quarter development, showing off young performers' talent with music, dancing, and food vans. Tickets for the event are £5 and all funds raised will go to the charity.
It was previously reported that the charity faced a £360,000 funding cut from Nottingham City Council. Base 51 subsequently launched a ‘Nottingham Children In Crisis’ appeal as part of their fundraising attempts to raise £190,000 to keep services running.
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