DMS Vinyl are proud to support Cathay's Community Centre!
Back in the spring, DMS Vinyl in partnership with the fantastic Youth Music charity, ran our Rescue the Roots Competition, to help boost awareness for Youth Music's campaign to raise £1 million for the grassroots music organizations in desperate need of funding, and as an opportunity to give back to our amazing independent UK music scene. The competition gave the winning independent artist a £2,500 vinyl pressing along with a £2,500 grant for their local grassroots music project.
The winners of the competition were Cardiff based pop-punk band Junior, who selected their local Cathay's Community Centre as the deserving recipient of the grassroots grant.
Having got to know the team at Cathay's, we're over the moon to be able to support such a wonderful organisation that makes such a lasting impression on their local music scene.
Pop-punk band "Junior"
Helene at Cathay's was kind enough to give us some of her time to give us an insight into Cathay's and what they do at the centre:
First and foremost, a massive congratulations from all of us at DMS! You must have felt proud when Junior nominated you as a deserving recipient of the grant?
Thank you so much! We’re incredibly grateful—and honestly, quite surprised—when we heard the news. It really came out of the blue for us, but we’re thrilled and honored.
As DMS Vinyl is Devon-based, we’re new to Cathays. Can you tell us a bit about the facilities you have available?
Of course! Cathays Community Centre is right at the heart of Cardiff. It’s a vibrant centre with an independent café and bakery, a dedicated meeting room, two large halls, music rehearsal rooms, a social space, and even a recording studio. We also run a wide range of youth services and community projects, and we’re lucky to host a huge variety of independent groups and classes that regularly use our spaces.
The building is open 13 hours a day, 7 days a week—there’s always something happening!
But most importantly, we’re deeply passionate about supporting young people. Music has always been one of the most popular activities here. Through our programs, we help young people learn instruments, write their own songs, and produce their own music. Our Cathays Music Project is a youth-led initiative for 13–20-year-olds in Cardiff. It gives them the space, tools, and confidence to explore and shape their own musical journeys.
You run the Cathays Music Project—how can young people get involved, and what can they expect from it?
Anyone with an interest in music is welcome—whether they're total beginners or already have some experience. We work with young people at all levels. Our team includes experienced tutors who are active in the music scene and have professional backgrounds in music performance, sound engineering, and production.
We’re also incredibly lucky to have an amazing youth support worker—our very own superstar—who’s actually performing at Glastonbury this year!
Often those at the top forget where their superstar acts started out. Has anyone from Cathays gone on to bigger things?
Yes, we’ve been fortunate to see some amazing talent come through! One of our longest-standing team members, Joel Beswick, plays in several bands touring across the UK. We also have a local star, Mali Haf, who writes beautiful music in Welsh and is very well-known locally—she works with young people too, which is fantastic. And of course, the pop-punk band Junior.
We feel community projects like yours are often underappreciated, despite how vital they are—from supporting grassroots music scenes to offering young people a creative and safe space.
Yes, I think so too. While community projects have sometimes been overlooked, we’ve noticed a growing appreciation for them in recent years. Life is busy, and it can be hard to find free or affordable opportunities—especially for creative expression like music. That’s why we’re so proud to offer a supportive, welcoming environment. Our team is incredibly passionate and committed to encouraging young people to explore their creativity and grow through music.
We’d love to know how you intend to invest your grant. Is there a way for people to follow and support what you're doing?
The grant will help us support young people in organising and running their own music gigs—both here at the centre and out in the wider community. It’ll cover event costs, equipment, promotional materials, and provide hands-on learning in event production. Most importantly, it gives young people real ownership and leadership opportunities.
People can follow our journey and support us through our website and social media—we’re always sharing updates about our events and projects. We’d love for more people to get involved or come and see what’s happening at the centre!
We are incredibly thankful to the pop-punk band Junior for choosing our charity.
Find out more and get involved with Cathay's:
👉 Cathays Music Project
👉 Rehearsal space/studio Under Construction