A Caerphilly social enterprise giving people in disadvantaged areas the chance to learn music and play instruments will be drumming up more business with the help of a £50,000 grant.

RecRock, which also works with young people with challenging behaviour and teaches music to school and community groups, is receiving the award from the EU-funded South East Wales Community Economic Development programme.

Delivered by a six-partner local authorities’ consortium of Blaenau Gwent. Torfaen, Merthyr Tydfil, Bridgend,Caerphilly and Rhondda Cynon Taff, the £13.5m SEWCED programme is supported by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government.

The award will help the Caerphilly Business Park-based charity to buy a van and have professional branding, allowing it to expand and increase turnover, creating up to five new jobs.

“This grant is a complete game-changer for us,” said co-founder Jack Cooper. “It makes us feel even more confident that we can become self-sustaining through private clients.

"Not only will it allow us to create more jobs, it'll also enable us to give back to our local area and community and support other social enterprises and charities with heavily discounted services.”

RecRock was founded last year by old school friends, Risca-based music graduate and professional guitarist Daniel Fitzgerald and film and television graduate and drummer Jack Cooper.

Disillusioned after unsuccessfully trying to find employment, they decided to start their own business giving people a chance to play a musical instrument through bespoke music workshops that also incorporate cutting edge touchscreen technologies such as iPads for DJing and beat making.

As well as working with alternative curriculum students to re-engage them with education, and with people with challenging behaviour – such as young offenders, disabled people and those with mental health problems - RecRock also teach music in schools and community groups in disadvantaged areas around South Wales.

The four-strong team’s aim is to improve students’ skills playing guitar, bass, keyboards, drums and singing and songwriting by encouraging group or individual performances of original or existing material. From May, RecRock will also be able to offer PA hire, recording and PAT testing for electrical equipment.

“We set up the business because the price of tuition and instruments means that many people in disadvantaged areas are not able to get involved in making music,” said Jack Cooper. “We want to reach out to these people – who live in an area with a rich musical heritage - to give them an opportunity to realise their talents and ambitions.”

One of the organisations that has used RecRock’s services is the Newport division of St John Wales. Jasmine Paffey, who recruits youth members, said: “It’s been amazing seeing the change and confidence levels boost for our cadets, especially the quiet ones. They have all engaged in it with their own strengths, and I was so proud watching them perform at our volunteers’ party. You have done a brilliant job."

SEWCED has invested £123,000 in community projects in Caerphilly since it was established in 2010, supporting 25 local social enterprises and creating 20 jobs.