AutismAble is delighted to announce that our Future Collaborations project has received a £25,000 donation from Sam Fender, matched by the charity Youth Music to bring the total to £50,000.

How the donation came about

The donation was drawn from the £50,000 Sam raised through ticket sales on his People Watching tour, which the Mercury Prize-winning singer pledged to grassroots music projects in the North East.

AutismAble’s Future Collaborations was chosen from a longlist of North East projects as the first recipient, with a second organisation set to be announced by Youth Music in August.

What this means for the project

Thanks to this boost, our latest Youth Music Catalyser grant will now run through until March 2029, giving us the stability to keep offering free, inclusive, high-quality music sessions to neurodivergent and neurotypical young people side by side, led by experienced industry professionals.

“Sam Fender’s support means a huge amount to us and to the young people in the North East who deserve these opportunities,” said Ian Black, AutismAble’s Youth Music Lead.

“With a little bit of support, we’ve seen young people find confidence, find their voice and take real steps forward in music.”

Recognition and growing impact

Future Collaborations was previously honoured with the Outstanding Project Award at the Youth Music Awards, and this latest endorsement is a great affirmation of what the project is achieving across South Shields, North Shields and Sunderland.

A unique opportunity for young musicians

The connection with Sam Fender doesn’t stop at the funding. Every Future Collaborations participant will now get the chance to take part in a free recording session with Bramwell Bronte (Aka Thom Lewis) – the producer behind Sam’s platinum-selling albums Seventeen Going Under and Hypersonic Missiles. For young musicians finding their feet, the chance to work with a producer of that calibre could be genuinely life-changing.

Support from Youth Music

Carol Reid, interim CEO at Youth Music, has said “ The charity’s focus is on backing local organisations that provide life-changing opportunities for marginalised young people — often ones that go under the radar. We’re proud to be counted among them, and enormously grateful to Sam, and to the community of supporters who make this work possible.”

Want to get involved?

If you’d like to sign up or find out more about Future Collaborations, contact info@autismable.com or click here to complete our short expression of interest form.