Music Venue Trust Partners With Volunteer It Yourself To Deliver Nationwide Venue Improvement Programme Funded By Grassroots Levy
First Stay The Night project underway at Voodoo Daddy’s in Norwich
April 8, 2026. Music Venue Trust (MVT) has announced a new partnership with national social enterprise Volunteer It Yourself (VIY), to launch Stay the Night and Feel At Home, two programmes of capital improvements in Grassroots Music Venues across the UK.
Funded by the grassroots levy, a contribution of £1 per ticket on shows over 5000 capacity distributed by the LIVE Trust, the partnership brings together two organisations working at the heart of community infrastructure. VIY supports young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET),or at risk of becoming so, to gain trade skills through hands-on projects, while MVT works to protect, support and improve the UK’s Grassroots Music Venue network.
Together, they are delivering fully managed venue improvement schemes designed to strengthen the touring ecosystem, improve artist experience, and invest directly in the long-term sustainability of Grassroots Venues. Stay the Night programme converts underused venue space into permanent accommodation for artists. By removing hotel costs and improving touring conditions, the programme directly addresses one of the most significant financial pressures facing live music today. Alongside this, the partnership is delivering Feel At Home, a programme focused on upgrading backstage environments to ensure artists arrive in spaces that are welcoming, functional, and fit for purpose. The improvements are practical but transformative.
Beverley Whitrick, CEO, Music Venue Trust
Stay the Night addresses that directly, while Feel At Home ensures artists are properly supported when they arrive.
At the same time, these projects create meaningful opportunities for young people to gain skills and experience. It’s practical, it’s immediate, and it delivers long-term impact for both venues and communities.”
The first project is already underway at Voodoo Daddy’s in Norwich, where work began in March at the Grassroots Venue which is expanding into a newly acquired neighbouring building. The project will create dedicated, self-contained artist accommodation alongside upgraded backstage facilities, transforming currently unsuitable space into practical infrastructure for touring artists.
Ben Street, Venue Manager, Voodoo Daddy’s
Working alongside the VIY team, the mentors and young people that have helped with the project has been a real pleasure and it feels good to know that they’ll be gaining valuable vocational experience and accreditation here too.
The work has already had an impact by allowing us to book in a number of international acts who were struggling to make a show work in Norwich but were happy to confirm once they knew we could offer nice and convenient accommodation right by the venue!”
Five further projects have now been approved across the North East, Yorkshire, the Midlands and South East London, with additional match funding identified to support delivery across England and Wales. The next phase of the programme will prioritise venues in Scotland and the South West of England.
Significantly, these are not grant schemes and venues do not receive funding or manage construction. Instead, projects are fully delivered by MVT and VIY, removing barriers to participation and ensuring high-quality outcomes.
Tim Reading, CEO VIY
These venues are vital community spaces, and by improving them we’re not only supporting the music industry, we’re also helping young people build confidence, skills and pathways into employment.”
Jon Collins, CEO of the LIVE Trust
We’re delighted that funds distributed through the Trust are supporting exciting partnerships like this one between the MVT and VIY, delivering a nationwide Grassroots Music Venue improvement programme.”
Each project delivers a dual impact: venues gain long-term infrastructure that supports artists and improves operational resilience, while young people gain accredited training, work experience, and boost their employability skills. Over time, this investment compounds. One upgraded venue supports hundreds of artists each year, raising standards across the touring circuit and strengthening the entire ecosystem from the ground up.
