New funding to enable vital music concerts throughout Scotland

Ahead of Dementia Awareness Week in Scotland (1–7 June 2015), the ScottishPower Foundation has today announced a new partnership with Scottish charity, Music in Hospitals Scotland, which offers high quality live musical performances to people living in care. The launch took place at The Erskine Glasgow Home, which provides nursing, dementia and palliative care for veterans and their spouses.

Recent research has shown that the provision of music for people with a long term illness, particularly dementia, can significantly improve health and happiness due to its soothing effects on the individual.

Music in Hospitals, which originally launched in England in 1948, was established in Scotland in 1980. The charity delivers professional live musical concerts to people of all ages in hospitals, hospices, care homes, day centres and special needs schools, bringing the benefits of live music to people who need it most. Last year, Music in Hospital delivered nearly 1,800 concerts across Scotland.

This year, with funding from the ScottishPower Foundation, the charity will be able to provide a further 50 concerts in care establishments throughout Scotland. People who live in care settings due to illness, disability or health conditions such as dementia, will have the opportunity for social engagement through the events with groups of talented professional musicians, specially selected at audition for their sensitivity and communication skills.

The project is supported by broadcast journalist, Sally Magnusson, who became the charity’s current Scottish Patron following on from her late father Magnus Magnusson KBE. Sally, who has written movingly about her late mother’s dementia, said: “I believe passionately, as my father did, in the ability of live music to raise the spirits especially among frail elderly people whom I’ve seen reached by music at a more profound level than almost anything else.”

Alison Frazer, Chief Executive of Music in Hospitals Scotland, said: “As a registered charity Music in Hospitals relies heavily on the generosity of its voluntary and corporate funders in order to deliver its service throughout Scotland. We hugely appreciate the support of the ScottishPower Foundation which will allow us to arrange an additional 50 performances during the coming year, touching the lives of many hundreds of people in hospitals and other care establishments across the country.”

Ann Loughrey, Trustee and Executive Officer of the ScottishPower Foundation, said: “The ScottishPower Foundation is committed to supporting programmes that enhance the quality of life in local communities. We are very pleased to provide funding to such an inspirational project, which brings the benefits of social interaction through live music to those who need it most.”

Erskine Glasgow Home Manager Gordon Johnston, said: “We have regular concerts in our home as our residents thoroughly enjoy live music and mixing together in recreation.  Music in Hospitals Scotland have held numerous concerts in Erskine Glasgow and on each occasion our residents have greatly enjoyed being entertained by such talented young musicians.  We have no doubt that listening to the different types of music, played on a variety of instruments, benefits our veterans’ wellbeing and we’re grateful to the ScottishPower Foundation for funding the concert today.”

For further information please contact Kirsty MacLeod or Jen Ward 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 (MiH) arranges over 1,700 concerts in healthcare establishments every year throughout Scotland. The charity was established in Scotland in 1980 and since then, has given over 43,000 concerts for people in care. Carefully selected professional musicians are chosen to work on behalf of the charity; auditions are held in Edinburgh and either Inverness or Aberdeen each year.  The charity currently has over 100 musicians who perform on a regular basis. A team of seven staff at MiH raise funds for and organise each concert in consultation with staff at each care setting.  The charity aims to reach more people in care each year, bringing live music to people who can benefit from it the most.