We’re pleased to report that we will be starting a new Singing Cafe in Leighton Buzzard from Friday 13th! We’re very excited to bring this new opportunity to residents in the Leighton & Linslade are and look forward to watching the group grow! Thank you to Leighton-Linslade Town Council for supporting this venture, it’s much appreciated.
We will set subsequently on the 2nd & 4th Friday afternoons of every month there after if all is a success. Details below:
We are delighted to share a wonderful testimonial by Di. This makes our work worthwhile and us very happy, thank you!
"I knew Music24 were wonderful at their group sessions, but I remained sceptical as to the benefit of one-on-ones. Well, I was so wrong!
Dave my partner has Parkinson’s and Dementia and like many others has suffered from the isolation of lockdown resulting in a lack of interaction and his subsequent withdrawal.
As an avid sportsperson in years gone by, he was not at all musical which added to my doubts.
However, the transformation has been absolutely unbelievable as Dave not only managed to use drum sticks but laughed at the same time which he hasn’t done for so very long.
Teela and Graeme are the most amazing and inspiring people and I cannot say enough of a thank you to them for taking the time and trouble to get through to Dave. It not only lasted for the time they were here but he is still more chatty and responsive.
I also have to admit that I too am feeling better to see Dave happier and more aware so cannot praise them highly enough and I am now a true convert to music therapy!"
Di (Watford Music24 group)
Teela commented: “It was a perfect example of someone transforming before our eyes.The music offers a reference point for people to connect with. We live for these moments and we are so glad you got to witness what music can really do!”
At Music24, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without the support and dedication of our team of volunteers. Here, Teela, our CEO, hosts an interview with three volunteers - Paula, Jackie and Brian, and they discuss what it is to be a volunteer and how it helps both the charity and themselves to achieve great things.
Dementia Action Week is a national event that encourages people to take action to improve the lives of people affected by dementia.
One in three of us born in the UK today will go on to develop dementia in our lifetime, and there will be an estimated one million people living with dementia by 2025 making dementia care one of the greatest challenges facing our society.
We all have a role to play in making the UK a dementia-friendly place to live and that’s what Dementia Action Week is all about.
Here at Music 24 we work hard every day to improve the lives of people with dementia and their carers. We are grateful to our funders and supporters for enabling us to enrich the lives of such wonderful people!
My husband John is 78. In May 2020 he was diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia. Late last year Age UK phoned us to ask how we were coping with the lockdown. I said that I felt John's memory was definitely getting worse due to the lack of stimulation, and lack of contact with people.
Age UK put us in contact with Teela at Music24, John now benefits greatly from joining Monday afternoon singing sessions. As well as the singing there is always lots of friendly chatter and laughter coming from the room while he is on Zoom. John really enjoys meeting with the group each week and gets a tremendous amount from the sessions.
I have also gained so much support and friendship from joining the Carer’s Zoom group sessions that Music24 offers. The meetings enable us to support each other if it is a bad week for someone, but also enables us to share information and tips to help when certain situations that arise with our loved ones who have dementia. John and I are fairly early on in our dementia journey, but I feel that I am learning a lot from the other cares whose partners have more severe dementia.
I have also benefitted greatly from the weekly group and 1:1 EFT tapping sessions. I definitely feel that the sessions have helped me to gain a sense of calmness and acceptance of where John and I are in life. As a carer it can sometimes feel quite scary worrying about just how bad things are going to become as John’s dementia advances. The group consists of really lovely people, and the sessions are led by Dawn who has such a great empathy with us all, and an insight into what makes us all tick. She can sense when we are not ok.
Last month Music24 put on a well-being day on zoom. John and I could not believe the effort and preparation Teela and her team put into putting on such an amazing day for us all. Yoga, meditation, mindful art, pebble painting. I think there were around thirty people all joined together on Zoom. I can’t tell you how much we enjoyed spending the day with so many people all taking part in the activities in the safety of our own homes, while still being joined together. It was a very special, unique day enjoyed by everybody.
Teela and her Music24 Team put so much energy, enthusiasm and commitment into looking after us all. They make such a tremendous difference to our lives. I can’t begin to tell you how much benefit John and I have gained from being a part of Music24, and we count ourselves truly lucky and fortunate that Age UK put us in touch with them.
Carole & John Cassidy
13th April 2021
This work was made possible by:
We are pleased to announce that we have received funding to provide additional support for Carers of people with Dementia in Herts, thanks to Hertfordshire Community Foundation and the National Emergencies Trust!!!
Currently all of our sessions are now provided online. In addition to the online music sessions for people in Herts, Music24 now provides a weekly Dementia Carers Support Group which is run via Zoom. These sessions provide a safe space for carers to talk and discuss any struggles or concerns they may have and feel supported by staff and other carers who are sharing similar issues. This group currently alternates each week, on a Wednesday morning, a Friday afternoon and then a Thursday evening. We’ve found that some times are better than others and alternating in this way gives carers an opportunity to engage at a time that suits their caring responsibilities.
Music24 have also set up a weekly EFT Support Group to further support carers. EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Technique and can be used for anxiety, stress, pain and many other issues, with the aim to find relief and promote relaxation and physical and emotional healing for the individual. It is practical and therapeutic, can be tailored to individual needs and anyone can learn to use this simple technique. It is activated by tapping on the body’s acupuncture points using the finger tips. The EFT group sessions currently run on zoom on Mondays at 10am.
Please contact Teela on 01582 250024 or email teela@music24.org.uk for more information and/or to access these sessions.
Sorry we haven’t posted an update for a while. As you can imagine, things have been rather hectic. In fact, we have been busier over the last 4 months than ever before!
So just an update: Music24 have moved all their sessions online, providing 11 sessions a week for various groups/locations including an Open Session on a Thursday morning. We’re so pleased that we have been able to adapt during this time of uncertainty.
This has only been possible because of our amazing staff and the funders that have helped to make this happen.
We’d therefore like to give a HUGE THANK YOU to our funders that have helped us throughout the Covid Pandemic: BLCF and London Luton Airport, Herts Community Foundation, Childwick Trust, The Co-op Foundation, The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust, Watford Mayor’s Fund, Welwyn & Hatfield Council and the Bedfordshire Charitable Trust.
We’re also extremely grateful to the Arts Council for supporting our work during the pandemic and are please to tell you all that we have received £10,000 to support our work in Bedfordshire.
A big thanks also goes to The Postcode Lottery Trust as we have been lucky enough to secured our Herts service for a whole year following an award of £20,000!!! We are over the moon!!
We’d like to introduce our new Patron, Brindley Sherratt - International Opera Singer,who has shown his support for our work having experienced the great things we do first-hand. Brindley visited the group that features in our short film, the Neurotones Choir, in Leighton Buzzard in February last year.
Below is a video where Brindley talks of his own experience and the many powers of music. P.S. turn the sound up! :D
