Have you heard drumming in the air? You may have noticed Brighton Council’s Youth Worker, John Flack, has been drumming using djembe drums outside the Brighton Civic Centre in Bridgewa­ter. You’ll find John there on Wednesday afternoons from 3pm onwards (weather permitting) and anyone can join in.

This location creates an op­portunity for students leaving the Jordan River Learning Federation Senior School to join in and create their own rhythms on the drums. It’s a great way to engage with and entertain students after school. John is also at Ma­terial Institute’s Bond Place in Gagebrook on Thursday afternoons from 2pm onwards where families often join him on the drums for a bit of fun and chit chat too.

John uses drumming as a way of engaging young people in a form of music. Drumming can help build healthy relation­ships with others by combin­ing musical expression with basic Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). It has been shown to improve emotional control, relationships and increase self-esteem.

If you see John out and about with his drums feel free to join in or just say g’day. Who knew that the simple act of beating a drum could be so beneficial for health and wellbeing!