Keshia looks after her four children, two of which have additional needs. She started coming to Lifted Carers Centre in Wythenshawe just a few weeks ago and has been back almost every day since. One of the first activities she took part in with the group was a Music in Hospitals & Care live music experience.
It uplifted my emotions and put a smile on my face.
“I used to write songs when I was at school,” says Keshia, “but it’s something I’d forgotten about because when you’re a carer, the kids’ stuff just takes over everything. So it reminded me that I absolutely love music.”
“The mental health challenge for parent carers is reducing the isolation and giving them the opportunity to feel part of something,” says Emma Gerrard, Centre Manager at Lifted. “The live music allows them to revisit something that they wouldn’t have done for themselves. It encourages them to really let go and remember what a fun and relaxing experience it is.”
Keshia: “It takes you away from everyday life and brings you into a completely new world. I was a bit reluctant to join in at first, but by the end we were all singing and clapping away.”
Emma: “The musicians involve the carers in such a lovely way, it’s beautiful. We’re now based in The Dandelion Community Centre which is a church setting, and that makes it even more magical. To enjoy live music here is such a fantastic opportunity for the carers.”
Keshia: “It was really nice that the music was familiar songs I had heard before, but not necessarily genres I would have thought of listening to myself. It uplifted my emotions and put a smile on my face.”