The BUILD OUR FUTURE campaign celebrates local talent while raising funds for a new 600-capacity venue, studio spaces, and youth music programmes in Birkenhead.
Future Yard, a live music venue in Birkenhead, recently held a 48-hour party fundraiser to support its "Build Our Future" campaign. The event was a success, helping the organization secure 95% of the £3 million required for the venue's upcoming expansion.
The raised funds will be split evenly between constructing a new 600-capacity performance space and supporting the venue’s community-focused initiatives. These include a neighborhood ticket scheme, music skills development, and various training programs.
Craig Pennington, representing Future Yard CIC, described the expansion as a "game changer." He emphasized that the growth of the venue benefits not only the organization but also the broader community in Birkenhead, Wirral, and the Liverpool City Region. Pennington noted that the project is built on providing a supportive space for new musical talent and using music as a tool to improve people's lives.
Alison McGovern, the MP for Birkenhead, highlighted the venue's role as a creative hub. "Ever since it opened, it’s created a space not just for performance, but for people to enjoy going to live music," she said. According to McGovern, the venue also provides essential opportunities for young people to hone their skills both on stage and behind the scenes in industry roles, helping them prepare for future employment.
The expanded venue will feature 12 flexible studio spaces, which will be used for workshops, rehearsals, and performances, further increasing local access to music education. The venue has already seen success in these areas, reporting that 1,443 children attended its Sunday morning "Mosh Tots" shows last year, while 166 young people participated in a sound-check training program and 75 local artists received support through the venue's Propeller program.
Steve Rotheram, the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, announced that as of September, the region will begin a new initiative to bring buses back under public control. This change will allow the local government to determine bus routes and frequencies, specifically targeting better transportation to the expanded Future Yard venue to ensure visitors can travel to and from the site safely.
The venue’s recent fundraiser underscored six years of community work, with the management team committed to securing the venue's future while continuing to support the next generation of local musicians.
