The British Association for Music Therapy hosts a series of podcasts which are conversations with music therapists, or with those connected to music therapy. Just published is a conversation between music therapist Davina Vencatasamy and Lesley Schatzberger, Founder of Jessie’s Fund. Their 50 minute chat covers a lot of ground,...
We are delighted to have been supported once again by The Postlethwaite Music Foundation. The Foundation first gave a grant to Jessie’s Fund in 2017, and have supported us each year since. This year, they have not only given us a grant for 2022 – they have pledged the same...
In November 2020 Kirsty Ormston started in post as music therapist at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at London’s University College Hospital. The pilot year of this role was funded by Jessie’s Fund. An article describing the work and containing a poignant case study was published recently in the...
Our journey with James Rennie School in Cumbria started in what now feels like a different age, September 2018, when we started a conversation with Kerry, the Assistant Head, about training for the staff team. She and Kris, the Head Teacher, had realised that music could be used to improve...
We’re delighted that this autumn we will be returning to face-to-face training courses, having been almost entirely online since the end of 2019. We have a new ‘blended’ format, but still lots fantastic ideas and techniques for making music with children who have complex needs. There will be a course...
We’re delighted that, with our support in partnership with the Friends of York Hospital, it has been possible to reinstate music therapy for children at York Hospital. After our successful pilot project, the end of which was brought about due to the pandemic, music therapist Aby Vulliamy has just started...
Little Bridge House is one of three hospices run by Children’s Hospice South West: Jessie’s Fund has supported music therapy there for some time. Ceridwen Rees, the music therapist at Little Bridge House, was furloughed during the first lockdown, and tells us that when she went back, staff and families...
After a gap of almost two years, we are very pleased that music therapy with children at the Great North Children’s Hospital has been resumed. Clare Hunt is the new music therapist there, having started at the beginning of this year. Clare says ‘I’ve just completed my second week at...
As well as a range of unique cards, we have some lovely bits and bobs in our little shop: as an example, for children there are simple and attractive musical instruments like this animal tambourine with a gentle sound, and for adults there are useful bags, or environmentally friendly reusable,...
Special schools have faced many challenges during the pandemic – caring for medically vulnerable pupils, maintaining social distancing and bubbles, and dealing with the additional emotional and mental health needs of their pupils. Schools could no longer have visitors on site, so all Jessie’s Fund’s projects were postponed at the...
