Leicestershire Cares celebrates the success of its first-ever Hope N Mic Night, sponsored by Walker and Son
On 22 September 2026, the International Music Venue came alive as young people took centre stage for Hope N Mic Night, a brand-new event delivered by Leicestershire Cares and sponsored by Walker and Son.
With around 70 people in attendance, the evening was a celebration of young creativity, music and community — and most importantly, a chance for young people to share their voices and talents with a live audience.
Young people creating, performing and building confidence
Hope N Mic Night was the first event of its kind for Leicestershire Cares, bringing together young people from our Youth Music Group who had created their own original songs from scratch.
From writing and developing their ideas to stepping onto the stage and performing in front of an audience, the young people were given the opportunity to take ownership of their creativity and experience what it is like to perform live.
And they rose to the challenge.
Their performances were met with huge support from the audience, creating an atmosphere that demonstrated just how powerful music can be in breaking down barriers, building confidence and creating new connections.
For many of the young people involved, it was more than simply performing a song. It was an opportunity to be heard, to believe in their abilities and to connect with people from across the community.
A night of live music and local talent
The young performers were joined by an exciting line-up of local talent.
The evening featured a headline performance from local music legend Lloyd Luther, alongside DJ support from DJ Anj Kay, helping to make the night a memorable celebration of music and young people.
The support from the audience was just as important as what happened on stage. With around 70 people coming together for the event, it truly felt like the city came out to support its young people.
Collaboration at the heart of the project
The event was made possible through the collaboration of two Leicestershire Cares projects.
Hope N Mic, led by Aaron through the Powering On project, which is funded by The National Lottery, joined forces with the Together We Can project, led by Cara and funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
Working together, the two projects brought their experience, ideas and young people together to create an event that demonstrated what can happen when organisations and communities work collaboratively.
A huge thank you
Hope N Mic Night was truly a team effort, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped make the evening possible.
A huge thank you to Walker and Son for sponsoring the event, our funders for making this work possible, Lloyd Luther and DJ Anj Kay for supporting our young people, everyone who helped organise and deliver the event, and, most importantly, the young people who stepped forward and shared their creativity with us.
The success of the first Hope N Mic Night shows what young people can achieve when they are given the space, support and opportunity to be heard.
We are incredibly proud of everyone involved and look forward to seeing where their music, confidence and creativity take them next.
Hope N Mic Night may have been our first event — but it certainly won't be the last.