Decision details

YO Songsters – 5 YO Songsters sessions, an inclusive music and dementia group, bringing together staff, family friends and people living with a young onset diagnosis through singing, songwriting and care sector training.

To provide funding of £582.50 to the above project.

Reason for decision:

YO Songsters! was devised as an expansion and development of my specialism in music and dementia, with a new focus on early intervention. Initially, the project was mooted during a meeting between myself and Shepway Community Mental Health Service for Older People facilitated by Yvette Kusel, Principal Clinical Psychologist.

Anne-Marie Tate, Senior Occupational Therapist, explained the higher than usual instance of young onset dementia in Shepway. The whole team concluded that the young onset community lacked local provision, least of all through beneficial music groups, and encouraged me to build something to meet the local YO community needs.

There are now decades of scientific evidence proving the benefits of music to health and wellbeing. The gaps to utility lie in the lack of legislative change around care budgets, and the reluctance of nonprofessionals to deliver musical interventions.

On this latter point, the disconnect between the enjoyment music brings, and the perception of it’s accessibility is an obstacle that can be removed with relatively little initial participation.

YO Songsters! promotes the fact that music is not only open to all, but indiscriminate – the more people making music, at whatever level of experience, in whatever form or way, the better for all.