Inspiring Change Through Music

This lunchtime, I spent time with Kingsley, the driving force behind In-spire Sounds – an extraordinary youth-led organisation that combines music, mentoring and creativity to support some of Oxfordshire’s most marginalised young people. And what a remarkable man he is.

Kingsley’s quiet energy and gentle authority belie the scale of the impact he’s having. From a modest studio space in Jericho, he and his colleagues have built something powerful – a hub where young people can feel safe, seen and inspired. Whether through beat-making, lyric writing or recording their own tracks, they’re given not only a voice, but a sense of purpose and possibility.

The name “In-spire” is no accident. Kingsley has talked passionately elsewhere about wanting to reclaim Oxford’s ‘dreaming spires’ for all its young people – not just those already on track for success, but especially those at risk of being left behind. Music, he has explained, offers a non-judgemental space. A place where young people can tell their story, process emotion, build confidence – and most importantly, begin to believe in their own potential.

Soon, In-spire Sounds will move into newly expanded premises on Park End Street, right in the heart of the city – and just a stone’s throw from another of my favourite organisations, Yellow Submarine. It’s a wonderful pairing: two grassroots groups doing big-hearted work, side by side, each changing lives in different but equally powerful ways.

What struck me most about our conversation was Kingsley’s rootedness in the local community. In-spire Sounds isn’t a top-down intervention parachuted in from afar. It grew from friendships, from shared values, from the DIY ethos of a Hip Hop collective that wanted to do more than just make music – they wanted to make a difference. And they are.

Their current project, Inspiring Change Through Music, is reaching 200 young people across Oxfordshire – offering 1:1 sessions, group workshops, and creative programmes that combine music-making with mentoring and emotional support. Many of the young people involved are facing serious challenges: mental ill-health, social isolation, exploitation, or exclusion from mainstream education. And yet here, they find connection, creativity and care.

It’s exactly the kind of work my year as High Sheriff is trying to shine a light on – Hearing the Young Unheard in its purest form.

As I left the studio, Kingsley gave me a glimpse of some of the tracks young people have been working on. The talent is extraordinary – but more than that, the truth in those lyrics is impossible to ignore. This is youth voice in its rawest, realest form.

I’m truly excited to see what In-spire Sounds will do next in their new home. And I hope, as a county, we’ll continue to listen – and to support – the people who are quietly transforming lives through passion, patience, and the power of music.