A much-loved young people’s creative arts and wellbeing charity faces closure ahead of mounting pressures to attract funding.

Based in the heart of Shrewsbury, The Hive, which operates across both Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, has announced its ‘Save The Hive’ campaign in a bid to raise £50k to keep its Belmont base open.

The Hive has operated as a specialist creative arts and wellbeing charity in Shrewsbury for over 19 years supporting almost 50,000 children and young people; many facing complex challenges in their lives, to achieve their potential through over 200 different projects. This respected local charity, which has been the seedbed for many young people to go on to more innovative and creative professions, requires an immediate cash injection to survive and meet the increasing demand for its services.

Katie Jennings (CEO) outlined the difficulties in seeking funding. “As an independent charity, we have always prided ourselves in securing considerable sums of external grant funding for decades in Shropshire, to be able to develop deeply meaningful projects; more than £4.5m over the last 19 years. But this last year has been exceptionally challenging, and we have found that the demand for grant funding, particularly from national bodies like the National Lottery, Arts Council England, and Children in Need has been extraordinarily high and despite us writing strong funding bids which meet funders criteria, we have been knocked back by the sheer volume of applications.”

She added “To add to this, the cost-of-living crisis has hit hard, bills have sky-rocketed; and our energy bills have quadrupled. We find ourselves in a challenging climate where we need to appeal for help from our local communities to get through this tough time, so The Hive can stay open, and continue to be a safe place for young people for years to come.”

Over the years The Hive’s successful work hasincluded a 5-year project supporting vulnerable young adults aged 16-30 with transition to independent living, education, employment, and training through arts and wellbeing; a cross-generational community arts and heritage programme exploring the hidden waterways of North Shrewsbury and surrounding areas, the Cultural Investigators Project exploring ways young people can express themselves and potential careers within the creative industries, and most recently the Amplify Project working with big event organisers like Lets Rock to provide unique experiences of the highs and lows of organising their own live music events.

Details of The Hive’s charitable activities and public events can be found at hiveonline.org.uk where those willing to help can easily donate. The Hive are aiming to raise £50,000. Donations can be made here.