Together with Music to Continue Singing for Another Three Years
On the first anniversary of Intergenerational Music Making’s (IMM) national music programme, Together with Music, HC-One are thrilled to announce that funding for the campaign will continue for another three years.
A Together with Music relationship, introduced through our digital platform, begins with the virtual exchange of a song, providing an inherent opportunity for individuals to share stories, identity and culture through music. Throughout the pandemic the programme has connected isolated people – both those deemed clinically vulnerable, and therefore self-isolating, or living in shelter networks – with their local community groups such as schools and care homes.
Supported by funding from HC-One, Britain’s largest care home operator, IMM and Together with Music will continue to empower communities to deliver community-led health and place-based solutions to integrated care.
Both IMM and HC-One hope the campaign will ultimately nurture and develop connections between staff and the wider community, reintegrating care homes after the pandemic forced their temporary disconnection from the wider community.
To celebrate their partnership, Together with Music hosted a special nationwide event for HC-One homes this month. A jam-packed hour of interactive music saw residents enjoy a live performance by Horsell Junior School in the South East of England, a ‘Name that Tune’ quiz with a 1960s and 1970s theme, and a lively singalong with The Beatles’ ‘All you need is love’ and Louis Armstrong’s iconic ‘What a wonderful world’.
Charlotte Miller, Founder and Director of IMM said: “We are truly grateful for HC-One’s support, which will help sustain and grow this programme nationally. Like HC-One, we also believe in promoting a culture of kindness and connection between care staff, residents and the communities they form part of.
“These values which we have in common, and on which Together with Music was built, can help ensure that our vision of a post-pandemic UK – built on strong intergenerational community connections through music – can become a reality.”
Dr Chai Patel, Chair of the HC-One Foundation, said: “Together with Music is a very exciting project which demonstrates how valuable integrated community-led innovations are in supporting people to feel connected and well.
“While Residents in HC-One homes have continued to receive consistent high-quality care and support, there is no denying that care homes everywhere have been separated from their wider communities as a result of Covid-19. Together with Music has not only made sure that care homes could continue to connect with their wider communities, but has encouraged new meaningful, intergenerational, connections which will outlast the effects of the pandemic.
“We are looking forward to continuing to work closely with Together with Music for another three years, using music to bring kind care to more people in more locations across the UK.”
