Looking back on our 75th year

We have had a fantastic time celebrating our 75th anniversary with you. Thank you so much for your support throughout this important year.

We kicked things off with a special event at the Senedd parliament building in Cardiff, where our musicians demonstrated the music they share in different health and care settings.

In April we launched the first of three new resources – conversation starter cue cards for staff and family members to explore topics around music with a person they care for. During Mental Health Awareness Week we shared an animation around music for mindfulness, and on Arts in Care Homes Day our partners received a guide to make their own percussion instrument.

Over the summer we celebrated the amazing health and care settings we work with. Special live music took place across the UK in hospitals, hospices, care homes, day centres, special schools and in the community. We also launched our new three-year strategy to help us achieve our long term ambition for people in hospitals and care to enjoy a better quality of life and improved health outcomes.

13 November marked the date of the first meeting in 1947 that would lead to the creation of the charity the following year. On this day we took the time to thank some of our amazing supporters, musicians, funders and health and care partners with 240 phone calls and 410 emails, including a special video message from one of our trustees.

This coincided with the launch of our BBC Radio 4 appeal with Mark Radcliffe, who has a personal connection to music for health and wellbeing having recovered from throat and neck cancer and witnessed his mother with dementia still singing after losing other forms of communication. We are so grateful to everyone who donated to the appeal and delighted that it raised £30,369 in total to help share the healing power of live music.

Thank you so much for your support throughout what has been a wonderful year celebrating and reflecting on the impact of Music in Hospitals & Care over the past 75 years. We are looking forward to another year of joy through live music with you.