A TEENAGE musician from Frome, James Harris, who has autism, has raised over £10,000 for a local music-making project by hiking 70 miles along Hadrian’s Wall. James, 17, alongside his father, John Harris, and his sister Rosa, walked from Carlisle to Newcastle, to raise vital funds for SoundLab, a music-making project for neurodivergent young people from Frome and the surrounding area.
James attends the music project most Fridays in Radstock. The music initiative is due to lose funding from July unless the charity provider, Evolve Music, can raise money to keep it going.
“Hadrian’s Wall was quite a challenge, but the three of us soon hit our stride,” explained James’ father John. “We’re amazed by the response, which will mean SoundLab has a sustainable immediate future. It makes our hurting feet and exhaustion worthwhile.”
Described as “brilliant and very, very musical,” James has found a creative outlet and a sense of belonging at Sound Lab. “It’s where he’s perfected songs like Shot by Both Sides by Magazine and Children of the Revolution by T-Rex,” says John, “but more importantly, it’s where he’s found new connections and friends.”
Led by professional musicians and supported by an inclusion worker, SoundLab provides a unique and vital space for young people like James. The sessions foster musicality, teamwork, and social skills, while also celebrating the often-underexplored connection between autism and music.
“There is no other community music provision for neurodivergent young people in our area,” explains John. “It would be a tragedy to lose this program, and we hope to raise enough not only to keep it going, but also to expand it to other towns in the South West.”
“Huge, huge thanks to everyone who’s helped and donated,” said James’ father John on the fundraising page. “The GoFundMe will stay open for a bit. It’s hot, we’re knackered, our feet hurt, huge thanks again!”
To support James and his family’s fundraising mission visit their fundraising page https://www.gofundme.com/f/james-harriss-hadrians-wall-walk
