Music4Wellbeing CIC

About the project

The Music4Wellbeing (M4W) support families living with dementia through regular fun, singing and rhythmic movement sessions.

Results from the funding

The funding provided 12 weekly, music practitioner-led sessions for older people living in Herne Bay who are caring for a family member with dementia. The music activities are designed to be nurturing and progressively challenging and include singing familiar songs, made more stimulating by accompanying instrumental rhythms, adding movement patterns or learning two and three-part harmonies.

The project also provided a bank of activities, songs and rhythmic movements for participants to share at home, particularly to encourage interactions between carers and their cared-for, and to exercise vocal, motor and cognitive functioning.

Beneficiary story

Participants gained a heightened sense of confidence, motivation and belonging. The shared creative activities provoked positive co-relationships and an easing of carer burden, not only during the sessions but forming friendships with other carers who experience similar challenges. Carers felt more connected to their communities due to the inclusive nature of the project, which included community volunteers aged between 20-90 and primary school children.

“The impact of enabling mum and I to sing uninhibited has been priceless. As soon as mum starts to get anxious or angry I hum or sing and soon she starts to join in and forgets feeling bad. As we are now unable to maintain a conversation or discussion as we used to, we can punctuate quiet times with singing together those songs which we like or evoke happy memories and we always end up laughing and hugging." Daughter Carer