A MUSIC academy offering classes to children who cannot always afford them is keen to raise money to keep going for a third year.

Musikate, an academy run by Kate Pavey and colleague Rebecca Tute, used to receive funding from the Essex Music Hub.

They are now in their third year and the funding has come to an end.

Now the pair want to raise money to fund the project themselves.

Ms Pavey, 47, a music teacher from Old Heath Road, Colchester, said: “We provide music tuition in an area with low income and provide classes at an affordable cost.

“We teach a complete music curriculum. The theory is taught through games and activities rather than through books and pencils.

We try to be innovative.”

One of the activities included a week-long bootcamp teaching the children to play the piano.

Ms Pavey said by the end of the week many of the children had gone from not being able to play at all, to being able to play confidently.

The academy is run from Hythe Community Centre in Colchester and gets some money through donations for concerts.

However, the pair are looking to hold more events to help fund their ten weeklong courses.

There is a beginners class of 14 children and a smaller, more advanced class.

Ms Pavey said: “It has been really successful and we have got lots of lovely comments from people on how it has helped their children.”

Musikate is holding a pamper evening at The Hythe Community Centre on Friday, October 2 to raise money, from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

Ms Pavey is asking for therapists who would be willing to help out on the night to contact her at kate@musikate.co.uk