BE United is a culture and development charity registered in Scotland (with a sister charity in South Africa) dedicated to inspiring change. We aim to motivate and inspire young people to realise and reach their dreams, regardless of age, race, wealth or background. We deliver a range of projects designed to harness the potential of the younger generation and enable communities to grow and improve together.

In Scotland, we focus on delivering creative arts programmes to engage Scottish young people and support local African and minority ethnic artists through cultural events and workshops covering a diversity of creative activities including music, theatre, dance and film, to promote cultural understanding.

Across July and August 2015, BE United piloted Discovery!, a youth programme for a small group of young people in Edinburgh that delivered a series of workshops with African musicians and groups. The pilot was supported by the Big Lottery Funds Awards for all and was delivered to the young people free-of-charge. This programme was incredibly valuable for the young people involved, building their confidence and musical skills, and providing the opportunity to work with experienced musicians to perform during the internationally renowned Edinburgh Festival. The final performance was held on 20th August and was attended by over 70 audience members.

Following this successful pilot, BE United has secured funding from the Big Lottery Fund's Young Start programme and the Robertson Trust to deliver Discovery! in 2016 to a wider group of young people in Edinburgh, Fife, and Glasgow. We have also just received a Volunteering Support Grant.