Bristol care leavers win award for music album

The group want to create music videos and will apply for funding to do this

A group of young people leaving the care system in Bristol have won a national music award for an album they recorded.

The album, Different Beginnings, was produced as part of an education programme by the Bristol Beacon.

"The music doesn't leave you. Everyone else does but the music doesn't," said group member Scarlett D'arc.

The 19 young people won the Peer Award for Excellence at the Creative Live Awards.

The Bristol Beacon's education programme, Hope Creative, has run for 10 years. Young people taking part devise the content, with every member of the group being assigned different activities.

The album details their experiences of life in the care system.

Tia Harford was one of those who worked on the project

"If you're not in the care system and hear 'kid in care' you think they're from a bad situation or they're a bad child.

"We are good people, just from bad experiences," said Scarlett D'arc.

Another participant, Tia Harford, said the album was "a way of releasing trauma.

"We used to do jam nights, and we wanted to move it forward so we decided to make the album.

"We would like to do music videos now we've won this award, and we want to apply for funding to do this," she said.

The album is due to be finished later this year.