Winnall Rock School members are planning to take Winchester by storm on Tuesday August 10!

After only two weeks of intensive tuition with Music Leader Tobin Thomson and his posse of helpers, the young musicians will be showing off their new skills in a fantastic performance night at the KAYAC youth club in Winnall.

Councillor Cecily Sutton, the Mayor of Winchester, will be attending, along with a host of other fans of the Winnall Rock School, including local business sponsors and youth organisations, who are delighted to be part of this special music project which takes exciting music learning right into the heart of the communities of Winnall and Highcliffe.

Founder Colleen McFarlane who first came up with the idea as a way of giving young people on the estates a chance to learn how to play and perform music for free, has spent every spare moment over the last few months working to bring the project to life, persuading funders such as the National Foundation for Youth Music, Winchester City Council, Hampshire County Council, the Children’s Fund and Local Network Funds to dip into their pockets and help out.

The studios are located on the first floor of the smart new KAYAC (King Alfred’s Youth Activity Centre) in Winnall Valley Road, and the two organisations share a vision and commitment to providing safe and enjoyable learning and recreational activities for young people in the City.

Tobin, a professional musician himself from an early age, who has appeared on Top of the Pops with his band The Lovelies, has been getting to know young people in the area over the last six months, holding music workshops at local schools and community centres. Last weekend the newly fitted out studios opened their doors for the first time and were soon rocking to the sound of drums, guitars and keyboards as the 28 new Rock School members let rip.