Hundreds of Volunteers Celebrate Support Nottingham with RockCorps and Tinie Tempah at Rock City

Nottingham came together in a powerful celebration of community, music and collective action as Nottingham RockCorps culminated in a high-energy concert at Rock City on 8 April.

Hundreds of volunteers from across the city earned their place at the exclusive event by giving four hours of their time to local community organisations, completing 18 projects and transforming spaces through gardening, painting, renovation and environmental work in the weeks leading up to the show. No tickets were sold, everyone there had to earn their ticket.

Headliner Tinie Tempah closed the night in style, bringing huge energy to Rock City with a set spanning new music including Energy, alongside iconic tracks such as Written in the Stars and Pass Out, creating a shared moment of celebration for everyone in the room. Tinie also volunteered earlier in the day at Community Recording Studios, painting benches and clearing garden waste.

Ed Attenborough, who presented the initiative in his role as High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, said:

“Nottingham RockCorps has been a powerful example of what can be achieved when people come together with a shared purpose. From volunteers and community organisations to businesses and partners, this has been a true collective impact project - and the effort across Nottingham has been remarkable.”

Rising artist LYVIA, from Nottingham, who developed her sound and spoken-word style on the Nottingham circuit, delivered a standout live performance alongside her band, captivating the crowd of volunteers.

Nottingham inspired JayaHadADream opened the show with her signature rhymes and beats, getting the crowd going with a high-energy set.

Throughout the night, DJ HEFF kept the energy high between acts, while BBC 1Xtra presenter Kaylee Golding co-hosted the event alongside Tee Moyo, guiding audiences through an evening that celebrated not just music, but the impact behind it.

The event also shone a spotlight on the people at the heart of the programme. Volunteers Roo and Morgan joined the hosts on stage to share their experiences volunteering at Stonebridge City Farm, while charity partners from Forever Stars and Footprints spoke about the tangible difference made by Nottingham RockCorps volunteers across their organisations and the vital role volunteering plays in supporting communities across Nottingham.

Earlier in the day, Tinie Tempah brought his Run Club to the city, teaming up with local running collective The Movement Community and their leader Leon Tomlin, to train with over 40 runners on a route through Nottingham, celebrating the energy and commitment of volunteers.

Nottingham RockCorps has demonstrated the power of collective impact, bringing together civic leadership, businesses, charities and young people to create meaningful, lasting change across the city.

Stephen Greene CBE, CEO and Co-founder of RockCorps, added:

“RockCorps is built on a simple idea - Give. Get Given. What we’ve seen in Nottingham is people coming together to make a difference, build connections and be part of something bigger than themselves. This was a project in which there were no strangers – just neighbours coming together for something larger than themselves. It was beautiful..”

The programme was powered by lead partner Experian, alongside a coalition of partners including E.ON, DHP Family, Ideagen, Manchester Airport Group, Nottingham College, Cartwright, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire, Nottingham City Business Club, Nottingham City Council, Forever Notts, Nottingham Building Society, It’s in Nottingham, Treeline Dental, Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing, Eversheds Sutherland, J McCann, University of Law and Raven Sky Consulting.

Together, they have helped deliver a programme that not only transforms community spaces, but also builds confidence, skills and connections among participants.

Nottingham RockCorps marks the first time the global initiative has been brought to the Midlands, highlighting how collaboration between civic leaders, businesses and communities can deliver meaningful social impact at scale.

Last summer, Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden challenged partners in Nottinghamshire to “think differently” about how to sustain long-term positive outcomes for children and young people in Nottinghamshire.

PCC Godden said: “This is exactly the kind of bold, collaborative thinking we need if we are serious about creating lasting change for our children and young people.

“By bringing together leaders, businesses, charities and the cultural sector, Nottingham RockCorps shows what can happen when partners step outside traditional approaches and think differently about engagement.

“Often, we talk about problems in isolation. This initiative flips that on its head - using music, volunteering and community action as a powerful vehicle to build confidence, skills and stronger neighbourhoods.”

Charity Organisations supported by Nottingham RockCorps include:

• Beeston Youth and Community Centre

• Communities Unite

• Community Recording Studios (Project attended by Tinie Tempah)

• Cotgrave Community Garden (Project attended by JayaHadADream)

• Dunkirk Primary School

• Reach Learning Disability

• Footprints Conductive Education

• Forever Stars

• Hyson Green Youth Centre

• Oliver Hind Youth Club, Epic Partners

• The Ridge Adventure Playground

• Pulp Friction (Project attended by Lyvia)

• Nottingham Sea Cadets

• Stonebridge City Farm

• The Friary

• The Lenton Centre

To learn more and keep up to date with future projects, visit: www.rockcorps.com, and follow @nottinghamrockcorps on social media.