A BRIDPORT violinist is performing in dozens of venues to raise awareness of a youth music charity.

Wendy Staal, is hoping to raise funding for the Richard Ely Trust for Young Musicians by performing at more than 40 venues, mostly in west Dorset.

Mrs Staal, a professional violinist, is hoping to raise awareness about the rising costs of learning a musical instrument.

She said: "I learnt to play the violin in the 1970s when everything was free.

"All I had to do was express an interest in playing a violin. That eventually led to being offered a full grant to study at the Royal Academy.

"There is a whole generation that had all that, but it has now all gone. My own children play and it is very expensive.

"Part of the problem, music has dropped lower and lower on the curriculum and is getting more and more difficult to take up. It is funding that is the main issue and a lot of people simply cannot afford it. It is actually quite hard."

Mrs Staal believes that playing an instrument can "transform lives" and is supporting the charity, which provides funding for young people to enjoy music lessons.

She added: "I have met both of my husbands through music and travelled the world and I cannot imagine what the world would be like if I didn't play the violin.

"Music helps people in so many ways. A lot of children are incredibly shy and some of the children I teach start playing the violin and they find out who they are. They do not even realise that music is their language."

The project, called Bach 41, will see Mrs Staal carry out short performances of classical music in support of the Dorset charity.

"I played in Aroma café and everybody was just so lovely about it," she added.

"This is my job, but I do get a little nervous when it is not quite what people expect, but it's possible for me to deal with this. I used to busk a lot in London when I was a student, which prepared me quite well for this."

For more information, and to support Mrs Staal's project, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/bach41