Tameside arts hub secures funding to reach even more young people

A vibrant Tameside arts centre is celebrating a major boost after securing a five-figure Better Youth Spaces grant to help it expand its work with young people across the borough and beyond.

The Vale, home to creative charity Global Grooves, will use the funding to purchase a wide range of new creative equipment, including musical instruments, digital arts technology, a portable sound system and specialist ceramics tools. All the items were chosen with direct input from the young people who use the Mossley-based centre.

The grant will also fund an electric seven-seater van and several building upgrades, helping to make The Vale safer, greener and more accessible. A cutting-edge mobile assistive listening system will further ensure that deaf and hard-of-hearing young people can fully participate in rehearsals, workshops, events and performances, both on site and at community venues across Greater Manchester.

The Vale was first launched 13 years ago by friends Leon Patel, from Mossley, Holly Prest, from Greenfield, and Brazilian artist Eraldo Marques. Originally set up on a shoestring, the centre underwent a £1m transformation in 2021 with the opening of the Northern Carnival Centre of Excellence.

Today, The Vale offers a rich programme of activity for young people. Free Saturday morning garden and craft sessions are open to all, alongside Creative Careers, a no-cost course for 13–18-year-olds from Tameside, Oldham and Rochdale. Tuesday evenings see the building come alive with percussion, brass and dance sessions for ages 12+, bringing high-energy Carnival culture to Mossley.

Earlier this year, 12 young musicians from the area had the chance of a lifetime when they rehearsed with indie band Shed Seven at The Vale. They later joined the group on stage for two huge outdoor concerts at Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl and Leeds Millennium Square as part of the Sounds of the City tour.

Leon Patel, CEO of Global Grooves, said the funding would unlock even more opportunities: “The Better Youth Spaces Fund investment will help us make The Vale even more accessible, inclusive and youth friendly. It will also help Global Grooves bring high-quality creative training and opportunities to young people beyond our own four walls. The purchase of an electric van and portable creative equipment strengthens our ability to reach young people who are currently under-engaged across all ten boroughs of Greater Manchester. Crucially, decisions about these purchases have been directly shaped by young people themselves.”

One of those young people is Harvey Jones, who has been attending sessions at The Vale since his early teens and helped shape the funding bid. He said: “For young people, especially in Tameside, it’s hard to find somewhere to practise because equipment is so expensive. Even in Manchester, there are very few places you can go. The new amps and all the tech feel exciting to use. It gives young people access to equipment we’d never normally get near, which is massive. Seeing all this cool tech makes you want to learn more and get involved.”

Rob Benfield, director of grants and investments for Social Investment Business, praised the project’s impact: “It’s fantastic to hear the difference Better Youth Spaces will be making to young people across Tameside and other Greater Manchester boroughs. This is exactly what the fund aimed to do: improve youth services, expand reach, and deepen impact to create better futures. And the fact that the changes have been shaped directly by young people is especially important.”

The Better Youth Spaces (BYS) programme aims to strengthen youth facilities in 42 priority areas of England, including Tameside and Oldham. It is delivered on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport by the Social Investment Business.

The vale has received funding from Better Youth Spaces