A group of Tameside teenagers have had the chance to step into the shoes of Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole as they organise a free music festival set to take place next Friday 28th August, at Dukinfield Town Hall, Tameside.

The group of five have all experienced homelessness in the past - and are now being supported on various housing projects run by the crime reduction charity Nacro.

They planned the event themselves and held open auditions to find the best up-and-coming dance and music acts in Manchester, Stockport and Tameside.

18 year-old Lucy Stott was one of the three young people who sat as a judge during the audition stage. She says: “It’s been a fantastic experience. We‘ve had such a laugh and we felt really important on the day.

"We wrote notes on what we thought of them and if they needed to improve. There were no nasty Simon Cowell type comments though, because we were so impressed with the level of talent. We’ve got a real mix of acts from modern ballet to street dancing, singers and MC’s”

The group are organising the festival as part of the Tameside Peer Education scheme, which is run by Nacro for young people who are not in employment, education or training and have experience of homelessness.

Shez Sheikh, the Peer Education Coordinator running the programme says: “The work Nacro does giving young people employability skills and confidence is especially important in the current economic climate. The latest figures show that because of the recession there are now 100,000 more 18-24 year-olds who are not in education, employment or training than there were at this time last year.”

The project takes young people with a history of homelessness and works with them for two to three days a week. During this time they deliver workshops in schools and colleges raising awareness of the issues surrounding homelessness and young people, as well as organise community events. The group is a part of Tameside Council's Homelessness Prevention strategy.

Rob Littlewood is a Senior Project worker at the Nacro housing project in which some of the group live. He is incredibly proud of what they have achieved: “This Festival has taken a long time to plan and it has been great to see young people with such enthusiasm and dedication to putting on an event of this magnitude.”

If you would like to arrange an interview or attend the event, please contact Rachel Whitehead, Nacro Media and Communications Officer on 0207 840 7218 or 07528970900 rachel.whitehead@nacro.org.uk

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