Emergency funding plea after Leeds music charity's £364,000 setback

Cloth Cat, based in Holbeck, applied for funding from the Big Lottery but after making it through several rounds was unsuccessful.

The money would have funded a four-year music mentoring project for disadvantaged young people in Leeds called ‘ Get Your Act Together’.

It would have also paid for a business officer at their base at Old Chapel Studios to help find alternative revenue streams to pay for its charitable work.

Cloth Cat, which has been running for 17 years, is now desperately trying to raise £5,000 just to make it to the summer.

Mike Jolly, project co-ordinator said: “We have been going for many years and we can see the value in what we are doing so we don’t want to let it go.

“There is vital work still to be done in Leeds.

“We have always run on little money whilst providing vital services for the most disadvantaged in Leeds, turning lives around using music as the vehicle.

“We are now in a very precarious position. We will submit new funding applications, work on another Big Lottery application and develop new revenue streams, but we need help.”

A donations page has now been set up and the charity has organised a fundraising gig at The Brudenell Social Club in Hyde Park on Friday, January 29.

Tickets for the fundraiser, which is called ‘Cabaret Sauvignon,’ cost £5 on the night and doors open at 7.15pm.

The Cloth Cat charity works with disadvantaged people and trains adults in a range of music skills.

Courses are available for people aged 19 and include singing, DJing, live sound engineering, guitar, music business and performance as well as music production software training.

It also helps other groups supporting vulnerable people with mental health problems, young offenders and the homeless.

To donate to Cloth Cat, visit https://mydonate.bt.com/events/savethecat.