The Syd Barrett Charity Fundraising Concert
10th October 2026
Realife Trust has been asked to act in partnership with the organisers of this very special Syd Barrett memorial concert to accept and distribute donations for a range of arts related workshops and other events for people facing a range of mental health related issues – and we are very proud to accept the challenge.
Here’s the full story from the Cambridge Corn Exchange website:
‘Syd Barrett, the pioneering songwriter, artist and founding member of Pink Floyd, is being celebrated for what would have been his 80th birthday at Cambridge Corn Exchange, where he gave his final live performance on 24 February 1972.
On 10 October, audiences will experience a special concert featuring Kula Shaker, Soft Machine, Men on the Border, Diana Silveira & The Psychedelic Circus, Radhika and Pünk Floyd, with additional surprise guests still to be announced. The event will also feature an immersive liquid light show by Los Angeles visual artist The Mad Alchemist.
The anniversary will also be marked by the release of a commemorative double vinyl and double CD album on 9 October 2026, featuring new recordings, previously unreleased material and standout live performances celebrating Barrett’s enduring influence. Contributors include Kula Shaker, All About Eve, Mystery Jets, Rosalie Cunningham, David Gilmour and Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets.
Alongside the concert and album there will be an exhibition exploring Barrett’s life, art and cultural impact which will run from 3rd – 10th October at Openspace – 54a Cherry Hinton RD, CB1 7AA.
The exhibition will feature original paintings and prints by Barrett, as well as new work from guest artists who have been influenced by Syd.
All proceeds will be donated to mental health charities.
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Neil Jones co-organiser of the events, said: “Eighty years after his birth, Syd Barrett’s influence remains as powerful as ever. His music, creativity and unique vision continue to inspire artists and audiences across generations. It’s especially fitting that this celebration takes place in Cambridge, the city at the heart of his story. Bringing together live music, art and a new album on World Mental Health Day is a fitting tribute to one of the city’s most extraordinary cultural figures”.
Rosemary Breen, Barrett’s sister, said: “The family wholeheartedly support these exciting events in aid of mental health charities. Syd would have been so happy and honoured to know his music was still being enjoyed in Cambridge.”
Our Mark awarded a Churchill Fellowship
Realife chair Mark Brookes adds a Churchill Fellowship to his MBE and honorary Doctorate for his work on hate crime with Dimensions, the national learning disability housing and support agency.
This funding will allow Dr Brookes to undertake overseas learning to understand international approaches to disability hate crime politically, legally, and within law enforcement. For the purposes of this project, disability hate crime relates predominately, but not exclusively, to people with learning disabilities and autism.
Dr Brookes will travel to the USA, and within Europe to research positive initiatives and approaches to victims of disability hate crime and the application of hate crime legislation in these countries.
End of an era at Orwell House
We say goodbye to our home at Orwell House at the end of March 2026. The building is being redeveloped by Cambridge City Council, who have been our partners since 2012.
The partnership was based on our agreement to run the reception area as a training project in exchange for free office space for our numerous projects plus the equivalent of one full time equivalent reception staff member. We were able to offer a wide range of projects and small companies a virtual office address to increase our income and to make use of the meeting rooms for our training courses. A perfect example of co-production!
Realife will continue to function as a small scale development charity, making good use of our partnership with Hearts of Oak, the artists colony in the Suffolk countryside.
Prism Arts, our latest spin off project was able to set up a successful pilot project in one of the large empty industrial units on site from October to the end of March and will now function as a ‘pop up’ whilst negotiating a permanent home.
Here’s a few pics of the Orwell House years
Announcing our latest partnership: ‘PRISM’
Our co-ordinator, Nicky Smith has been working with a brand new arts and wellbeing collective and writes:
‘A new Wellbeing, Arts & Culture Centre opening soon in the North of the City. This is what happens when two northerners’ dreams collide!
A vision to create a space where we can raise money for local charities by offering very cool stuff! Expect sound journeys, women’s circles, men’s circles, music, dance, yoga, jamming, improv, bands, art exhibitions & more. Venue hire is also available. Oh and vegan cakes!
The synchronicity around this project has been wild, the kindness & support breathtaking, the fun & ease heart opening. Rob & I (and Bear, officially the cutest & fluffiest manager in the world) can’t wait to throw the doors wide open & welcome you.
We are deeply grateful to Realife Trust for supporting this new venture & carrying this first iteration under their wing.
We will be launching very soon!’
Hearts of Oak and Realife working together
Founding Director and now Trustee, Tony has been running the Realife Greenstage project from the wonderful setting of the Heaven Sculpture Yard in Suffolk for the past 5 years and we are pleased to say that Heaven’s new CIC, Hearts of Oak Organisation and Realife are working in an ever closer partnership, with Realife named as Hoo’s assett lock charity. Tony remains a trustee at Realife and is a Director at HOO.
The Noisy Women Collective grant award
Fara, Nicky, Ames and the rest of the collective have been awarded a £10000 grant from the Serpentine Trust and it comes with a support and mentoring package to expand their work nationally.
Move it or lose it!
Nicky Smith from the Realife Wellbeing Centre held a workshop Seniors Fair at the Cambridge United Football Club where participants joined in with a ‘Move it or Lose it clas’s