Newtown residents who attend the Park Day Centre have been treated to a free, festive concert thanks to live music charity Music in Hospitals and the ScottishPower Foundation.
The Magic Moments concert is one of fifty being provided throughout Wales by the charity this year with funding from the ScottishPower Foundation. It was delivered by professional musician Margaret Ferguson, also known as the ‘African Soprano’, and her piano accompanist Michael Luntz. Elderly service users enjoyed Christmas hits as well as songs from popular musicals and operas.
Music in Hospitals works with carefully selected professional musicians and operates across the healthcare spectrum to bring the therapeutic benefits of live music to people living with illness or disability, particularly those in long-term care. The Magic Moments sessions have proven to increase awareness, alertness and morale for people with dementia, multiple learning disabilities or adults recovering from serious injury. In the last year, Music in Hospitals has delivered 609 concerts which have been enjoyed by more than 15,000 residents at hospitals, hospices, care homes and special schools in Wales.
Robert Aitken, Director of Music in Hospitals in Wales, said: “What we do is simple – we use live music to make people feel happy. Through performers like Margaret and Michael, we’re able to do that for thousands of people in hospital wards, hospices, day centres and care homes all over Wales. We’re enormously grateful to the ScottishPower Foundation for its support – without it this concert in Newtown wouldn’t have taken place.”
The ScottishPower Foundation announced its partnership with Music in Hospitals earlier this year, donating £25,700 to support a total of 100 Magic Moments concerts throughout Wales and Scotland. These concerts are delivered at no cost to the care units, with the majority of concerts taking place in rural or isolated venues to reach those in greatest need.
Keith Anderson, Trustee of the ScottishPower Foundation, said: “The ScottishPower Foundation is committed to enhancing the quality of life in local communities throughout the UK and we’re delighted to be supporting the work of Music in Hospitals throughout Wales and seeing first-hand the impact music can have on people living in care.”
For more information on Music in Hospitals, including future events and details of the various musicians involved, please visit www.musicinhospitals.org.uk.
For further information please contact Jen Ward or Laura Blyth at Stripe Communications on 0131 561 8768 or email spfoundation@stripecommunications.com
Notes to editors:
The ScottishPower Foundation is a registered Scottish charity (SC043862) and a company limited by guarantee (SC445116). The Foundation’s aim is to make a significant and lasting contribution to society and enhance the quality of life in local communities. It provides funding to registered charities and non-profit organisations for the following purposes: the advancement of education; the advancement of environmental protection; the advancement of the arts, heritage, culture or science; the prevention or relief of poverty and the relief of those in need by reason of disability or other disadvantage; the advancement of citizenship and community development.
Music in Hospitals works with carefully selected professional musicians and operating across the healthcare spectrum aims to bring the therapeutic benefits of live music to people of all ages living with an illness or disability, particularly those in long-term care. The charity stages interactive live music sessions for a wide variety of audiences, including patients in hospitals and hospices, residents in care homes, attendees at day care centres and pupils at special schools. Every year it provides around 4,500 sessions across the whole of the UK, tailored to the particular group from children with profound and multiple learning disabilities to older people living with dementia, or adults recovering from serious injury or illness.