Summer fun for young patients in London

In July, we were delighted to be invited to the summer garden party for children at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The day was filled with sunshine, live music, and fun activities for the children and their families.

The event was organised by the dedicated team from the hospital’s school room, which supports young patients’ education during their treatment on the Safari children’s ward. Their work plays a pivotal role in helping children continue their learning and re integrate back into their home schools after they’ve been discharged. The team supports children with a wide range of medical conditions, including injuries and life-limiting illnesses.

Event organiser and Teaching Assistant, Carly Fordham, explains: “We’ve built up such a nice relationship with Music in Hospitals & Care and we’re so thankful. We have a lot of young children at the moment with complex needs, so it’s just nice that they can have something a bit different than just sitting in bed all day.

“In the environment that we are in, it can be very scary for young children. All the procedures that they’re going through. The doctors, the nurses, it can be really difficult. So we like to engage with them, support their wellbeing and offer a bit of escapism. Something like live music, everybody needs. It’s nice for the children, it brings so much joy to them, you can see a lot of reactions on their faces.”

Our talented musician Steve Barbé brought the music to life with nursery rhymes, classic favourites and upbeat summer songs. He was also joined by musicians from the charity Spread a Smile, and together they filled the space with beautiful harmonies. Steve explains: “I love this work partly because I like a variety of music and tend to play slightly different music for each audience. I find anything lively tends to work for children. Today we went into space, we went underwater, and we sang about birds and butterflies.”

Events like this provide a wonderful opportunity to witness first-hand the valuable role that live music plays in supporting children’s wellbeing and offering comfort and connection for families during what is often a difficult time in hospital.