News of a £17,000 National Lottery grant is music to the ears of our Heathlands Village management! And it will spare an essential wellbeing tool from being withdrawn.
The future provision of specialised music therapy for residents of our home – a regular element of care for a decade or more – had been at risk as existing funding was running out.
With only about two weeks’ funding left, an urgent plea for financial help was put out last year. Two generous private donors came to the rescue and kindly donated £3,500, and £1,000 to keep the service going for a few months. Now the lottery grant will secure its provision for a further twenty-two months.
The therapy is provided by charity, Nordoff and Robbins. Its Head of Music Services Delivery, music therapist David Robinson, visits the Village every week to work with groups of residents and individuals.
The benefits of his work are well-documented, making a substantial impact on the wellbeing of its recipients.
David, who also supports our Heathlands Village Residents’ Choir which performs two concerts a year, commented:
“As a music therapist, my main focus is working with those residents who increasingly find communication and connecting with other people difficult due to living with advanced dementia.
“Personalised live music-making can build a bridge between them and those around them, whether through a familiar song or musical improvisation, and I’ve seen how important that connection can be for them, their family and the Heathlands staff who support them.”
Our Clinical Director, Karen Johnson observed:
“It is incredibly moving to see the light come back into someone’s eyes as they recognise and respond to a familiar song and join in with the words or a percussion instrument.
“But it’s important to emphasise that this lottery funding is specific to the delivery of music therapy. It cannot be used to fund any other service provided by The Fed at Heathlands Village or in the community. We need to raise £2.5 million this year alone – £1.5 million of which relates to the running of Heathlands Village and making sure the people we care for receive excellent all-round care.”
The Fed is grateful to all the National Lottery players who made this funding possible.
