In 2012 Totnes received a very special addition to it’s cultural scene when the Jamming Station began.

It now has a team of three directors: Director and Safeguarding Lead Beth Coombes, Jacqui Perks and Cara Walker.

Beth explained how the Jamming Station first began: “It was about 14 years ago. My colleague, Jacqui needed a place for her teenage son to play drums and she hired out the local youth club and he and a group of people met there and the Jamming Station started.”

“I walked through the door as a music teacher, having been training as a music leader to run an organisation and work in this field myself, so it was a perfect fit.

“We joined forces.”

According to Beth, the organisation has always been built around a particular ethos, with wellbeing, creativity and the voices of young people shaping what it does.

“Whilst it was something we were doing in the evening times in our spare time, on top of the other work we were doing, it was on a voluntary basis. It was like that for a few years before we started to build, apply for funds and create the structure of an organisation.”

“We became a community interest company in 2016 and were running weekly sessions during term time, as well as showcases at the Barrel House on a termly basis. We were generating an audience and local support for our young musicians.”

“We found it was a really great meeting spot for young people to come out of their bedrooms so they weren't alone in isolation on their own music and to enjoy what they love most in an environment where they could be with other people.

“Some of those young people are involved now, a few are on the team.”

The Jamming station has grown over the years both in scope and geographical area: “Now we reach over 100 young people every week between the ages of 10 and 25 with our core programme of band sessions and we run five of those a week but we also have youth nights which are free and open to all and youth rehearsal places and workshops and clubs in the summertime.”

“We do one-to-one mentoring and also liaise with all the local wellbeing and creative partners in the in the Totnes area and broader area of Kingsbridge and Dartmouth as well as regionally to help to create a sort network of organizations that work with young people and music so that young people have increased pathways to move through and develop their interest.”

“I think what's really key and core to Jamming Station is the original purpose that they have somewhere to go to a sense where they belong and so it appeals to people of all levels of musicality and some people like to DJ too.”

The Jamming Station are now looking to raise funds to move into the next phase of the Mill which you can support here : https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/power-jamming-station

Or visit their website for more information at: https://www.jammingstation.co.uk/index.html