Welcome to this annual report that celebrates an important milestone for this wonderful charity, which I am proud to have been connected with since 2005.

Many years ago, I became aware of how music could affect people and offer solace at crucial stages in lives affected by mental and physical illness. My mother and aunt were both diagnosed with dementia in their seventies. They had arrived at a time when music was the only feature they could recognise from earlier life experience. My aunt could sing along with me, remembering the words when all other means of contact were lost to her.

Then an invitation came to me to work with Music in Hospitals & Care. Obviously, this was something I had to do.

I remember one particular day at a hospital in Surrey, a young woman was wheeled into the ward in her bed. She had not communicated with any of the nursing staff for several days. Hearing live music from a singer standing by her bed brought a look to her face that I had never seen before nor since. The atmosphere in that small ward became so very different that I can’t begin to describe it. If I had wondered before, I now saw proof of the worth of what Music in Hospitals & Care offers to those most in need of a light in their lives.

Sir Thomas Allen
President

It has been a significant year for the Board of Trustees. We were delighted to celebrate 75 years of Music in Hospitals & Care and see the positive impact the charity’s new strategy is having in its first year to enable those who will benefit most to experience live music.

We welcomed new trustee Thomas Parker to the board in September. Thomas is an internal auditor, working with charities and public sector clients across London and the South focusing on good governance. We are always keen to hear from people with relevant skills who would be interested in joining the Board, especially anyone with a professional background in the care sector.
We are also participating in an initiative to encourage talented black professionals to become charity trustees; through this scheme we welcomed Olawale Ojo and Deborah Omo-Obi as Shadow Trustees. They bring IT and analytic skills to the role and we are delighted to have them join us.

In November we said farewell to trustees Fiona McIntosh and Helen Dutta. Both were former musicians who also brought many other professional skills to the Board, Fiona was most recently the Chair of our Risk Committee, as well as a member of our People Committee. Helen was most recently the Chair of our People Committee and played a key role in helping us to shape our current safeguarding framework. We wish them all the best for the future.

Many thanks to all of the trustees for their efforts this year as we enter another exciting chapter for Music in Hospitals & Care.

Maureen Hall
Chair

“Rebecca the harpist came in earlier this week and played the harp with a child aged 12 who loved this and it really helped to perk her up, considering she had been in the hospital for a week. Rebecca was lovely and engaging and we believe this charity is hugely beneficial to children.”

Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport