Appeal to replace instruments stolen from Sunderland's Pop Recs venue hits fundraising target four times over

The Pop Recs building in High Street West has been home to the Sunderland Young Musicians Project since February.

Supported by Sunderland social enterprise We Make Culture, the project allows young people aged from 12 to 21 to try their hand at music, with support from professional musicians Marty Longstaff, Natasha Haws and Beccy Young.

The project has continued to support young musicians through the coronavirus lockdown online, offering group sessions and one-to-one tuition.

But in May the building was broken into and around £1,000 worth of equipment taken.

Members of the group recorded a video and set up a fund-raising page with the target of raising £1,000 to replace the equipment.

The Echo reported on the appeal and donations began to flood in. Now the total has reached more than £4,000.

We Make Culture’s Laura Brewis has been overwhelmed by the response from the public.

“It has been so amazing,” she said.

“It is so much more than we ever expected to raise. The young people in the group have been incredibly heartened by the support they have had.

“They are over the moon.”

The on-line total has now topped £4,000, but there have also been other donations and Laura said the amount given would allow the project to extend its work.

“We can now really extend the stuff we can do,” she said.

“It means the things we can do will be bigger and better, we can get some really good recording equipment and we can even make the place a bit nicer.

“And we would like to start an equipment library for the young people so we can lend out things they don’t have at home, which is something we have long wanted to do.

“We have also had some organisations who have given us equipment, for which we’re very grateful.

“We want to say thank you to everyone who has helped.”

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