Raising the roof at the E-Unique fundraiser

If you’re a fan of music and enjoy having the chance to win a few prizes to boot, keep your eyes peeled for the next E-Unique event. A project designed to engage young, disabled people in music, E-Unique recently held its first public fundraising evening at the Hammersmith Town Hall. The fundraiser was backed by The Big Lottery – Young People’s Fund in conjunction with HFVC’s very own youth project Events 4 Youth. Locals, volunteers and family members filled the hall to enjoy music from local singers and songwriters, hit the dance-floor for African-fusion band All 4 One, and experience some freestyle rap with TNS. Guests also won exciting prizes that were raffled off throughout the evening, plus ate, drank and got hold of some gorgeous gifts provided by the Body Shop. The show culminated with the performance of an original song by E-Unique director Eugenia Bertin’s own band, the Uniquez. As the evening drew to a close she commented, “It went really well. I’m very happy with what I’ve done, and the young people loved it.” All proceeds from the event will go back into E-Unique, a social enterprise founded by Eugenia after working with creative workshop provider Defcon. After a series of sessions with team leader Natty Sobhee, her passion for music led her to ask why there aren’t more workshops for young people with disabilities and interesting activities that will help to keep youths off the streets. She created a business plan for E-Unique and began running monthly workshops with Defcon that let young adults create songs, DJ, or try out technical music production. The end result of the sessions thus far is a CD that was written, recorded and performed by the young people, with all sales going back towards improving music-centred community programmes. Eugenia will continue to hold music workshops and fundraisers to achieve more visibility for E-Unique in the community, but that the main goal for everyone involved is to have fun. For more information about the projects mentioned above, please visit Events 4 Youth Website, E-Unique Website and Defcon workshops