Music in Hospitals & Care has had incredible success this year for awards ceremonies and now we have also been shortlisted in not 1 but 3 categories for the ScottishPower Foundation Awards taking place on Monday 23 September 2019.
The 3 award categories we have been shortlisted for cover our work with veterans, special school children and also highlight the amazing dedication of one of our local ambassador volunteers, Robin Barr, as follows:
♫ Community Impact & Engagement Award – for our project within the Unforgotten Forces Partnership, Play it again SAV! Through this project, we have reached over 1,000 veterans within healthcare settings or accessing support services to reduce social isolation and bringing music participation back into veteran’s lives.
♫ Charity Champion Award – Robin Barr – Fit as a Fiddle Fundraising Challenge – Robin’s dedication and enthusiasm stretching over 40 years of volunteering with MiHC Scotland truly shone during our 70th anniversary year, when Robin challenged himself to walk 7 hills in Orkney at the age of 77, raising over £5,000 in the process.
♫ Innovative Project Award – for our programme of interactive weekly live music sessions with A4 Brass Quartet at Lancasterian School, West Didsbury in Manchester. A carefully tailored repertoire has been provided to five multi-sensory impaired children, all of whom are profoundly deaf and/or blind. The sessions include simple sounds, repetition and vibration to give the children the ability to familiarise themselves with a variety of sensorial and auditory experiences. The project, which will run until the end of 2019, has been funded by Oglesby Charitable Trust.
Established in 2013, the ScottishPower Foundation aims to make a significant and lasting contribution to society, enhancing the lives of people living in communities throughout the UK. Last year it awarded £1.25m to third sector organisations.
Thank you to ScottishPower Foundation for their wonderful support and endorsement of our work bringing the joy of live music to people of all ages across the UK.
Click here to read more about the ScottishPower Foundation Awards in the Third Sector News.
Arts in Care Homes Day: Thanking Bert Smith
This Arts in Care Homes Day, we’re taking the time to thank Moyness Care Home’s Activities Coordinator Bert Smith, who has championed live music for care homes in Dundee for over 30 years. As Bert approaches retirement, he is looking back on his career and years of work with Music in Hospitals & Care.
World Alzheimer’s Month: Lifting spirits in Cumbria
Our musician Andy McKay has been visiting wards and care homes across Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, where we have been able to share 29 hours of live music between September 2025 and May 2026. One of the spaces Andy visited is the Ramsey Unit at Furness General Hospital, an assessment unit for patients with organic illnesses such as dementia.
Read our latest annual report
In 2025/26 we focused on setting the right note for the future. Despite a challenging landscape, we are proud of what we have been able to achieve with your support.