Turning the page, changing the tune
Over the past year, the fundraising landscape has continued to shift. Increasing competition for charitable grants, our largest source of income, and ongoing economic pressures have made it more difficult to secure traditional sources of funding.
In response, we continue to adapt and diversify our approach to income generation, embracing new strategies and strengthening existing relationships to set ourselves up for the future.
Despite these challenges, the incredible commitment and generosity of the Music in Hospitals & Care community really shines through. We are so grateful to everyone who has supported us this year, helping to keep the music playing when it matters most. We really couldn’t do it without you.
supporters with a regular donation
new donors
increase in income from individual donations
of our grant funding was unrestricted
raised from 5 legacies – an increase of 12x the income from last year
increase in grants received from charitable trusts and foundations
raised from 26 community fundraising events and talks
of our live music had a financial contribution from our health and care partners
Investing in the future
Core costs are the vital yet often overlooked areas of our work that are needed to ensure that we are able to share live music where it is needed most. This includes essential costs, from our finance and fundraising teams to the IT systems we use to organise each live music experience.
A huge thank you to the players of Postcode Lottery, who have raised £1 million since 2017 to help share the healing power of live music across the UK. Our current unrestricted funding from Postcode Culture Trust runs until March 2027 and has been instrumental in progress made against the key aims of our organisational strategy.
The flexibility of this funding enables our team to respond quickly to changing needs and new opportunities. In 2025/26, it supported the launch of our new evaluation framework, further developing our programmes of live music for people who are seriously ill, and the diversification of our income streams to help us secure more funding in the future.
We also received the fantastic news of an unrestricted grant from the Garfield Weston Foundation to support our work across the UK. Starting in November, this funding is helping to build consistent programmes of live music where it can have the most impact.
Unrestricted funding enables us to strengthen our organisation and be more responsive to the demand for our live music, safeguarding our work for the future and helping to move closer to our vision that everyone can access and experience the joy of live music.
Not only does this benefit people’s health and wellbeing, but it contributes to relieving growing pressures on health and care by supporting staff, helping people to recover quicker and reducing the need for strong medications and long hospital stays.
This ensures the future of sustainable live music, creating moments of joy and connection for people who need it most. Thank you.
“Music in Hospitals & Care uses funding thoughtfully and effectively, ensuring it reaches those who need it most. Seeing their live music sessions in action is truly special. The joy, comfort and sense of connection they bring to patients, residents and staff is immediate and powerful. It’s clear how much care and dedication goes into every performance.”
Morag Fodor, Long term Partnership Officer at Postcode Lottery
In memory of Jenny Logan
Our professional musicians are at the heart of the Music in Hospitals & Care community. Many have dedicated decades to sharing the healing power of live music in health and care settings, and their commitment extends even further through volunteering and fundraising.
Jenny Logan was a much-loved musician, supporter and friend of Music in Hospitals & Care. Joining us as a musician in 1987, she was a talented mezzo-soprano who performed over 2,000 times, sharing live music in health and care settings across Scotland, including helping to audition new musicians. Jenny continued to support the charity through fundraising, volunteering and attending events such as our annual Winter Warmer in Edinburgh.
We were deeply saddened by Jenny’s death in late 2025. Her memorial service was appropriately musical, with her church community and friends from choirs across Edinburgh joining in to sing her chosen hymns. The family generously asked for donations to be made in her memory to charities including Music in Hospitals & Care.
There was a strong personal connection within the community and a desire to continue Jenny’s legacy. One of her music students, and a supporter of Music in Hospitals & Care, is also a trustee of the James and Jessie Shaw Charitable Trust. The Trust made a donation of £12,000 to honour Jenny’s lasting impact.
Jenny’s husband, Bruce Logan, said: “I was really touched to learn that there have been so many charitable donations in memory of Jenny. She was so loved and respected for the contribution she made to Music in Hospitals & Care over so many years. I was so proud of her. She will not be forgotten.”
The generosity of Jenny’s family and friends has been deeply moving. Through donations and ongoing fundraising inspired by her life, it is clear how much she meant to so many.
Jenny brought warmth, kindness and music wherever she went, and she will be remembered with great fondness and gratitude by everyone at Music in Hospitals & Care.
Highlights
Partnership building in the North of England
Partnership building in the North of England
Long-term programmes involving regular visits from our musicians help to increase access to live music and lead to improved health and wellbeing outcomes for people in hospitals and care. They also provide stable income to enable future planning.
Throughout 2025/26 and into 2026/27, we have increased the number of NHS trusts and health boards we work with by 8% across the UK.
We recognised that in some areas there was a real opportunity to build new long-term relationships. In the North of England, we partnered with two NHS trusts and associated charities to lay the foundations for sustainable, long-term live music programmes.
A pilot delivered at Salford Royal Hospital in collaboration with the Patient Experience Team at Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust supported by NorthCare Charity, saw our musicians visiting wards and public spaces right across the hospital to explore the benefits of regular live music for patients, families and staff.
We also trialled live music throughout 2025/26 with Bright Northumbria Healthcare Charity at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust hospitals North Tyneside General Hospital, Berwick Infirmary, Hexham General Hospital, Alnwick Infirmary and Blyth Community Hospital. These sessions have been very successful and have led to a new agreement for regular live music in 2026/27.
“I’ve received some really lovely feedback from one of the nurses on shift, as well
as from families who were there. It clearly meant a lot, so thank you and, of course, thanks to your musician for delivering such a meaningful session… it was such a precious moment for the patient and his daughter to share at the end of his life.”
North Tyneside General Hospital Palliative Care Unit
Marathon miles for music
Marathon miles for music
We’re so proud of our amazing team of runners who completed the 2025 London Marathon, raising over £15,000 in support of Music in Hospitals & Care. Each runner had their own inspiring reason for taking part and fundraising for us.
“From the moment I joined Team Music in Hospitals & Care, I felt part of something bigger than just 26.2 miles. Training was tough, but as a musician and teacher I know music has a magical way of lifting spirits, easing pain, and connecting people – and knowing that my miles could help make more of that magic happen kept me going. I’m so proud to have been part of it, and I’ll carry those memories with me forever.”
Simon Burvill
“Running for Music in Hospitals & Care was a very rewarding experience. Throughout the fundraising period I was amazed to hear stories from family, friends and colleagues about how music has helped their loved ones in the past. Music really does have a special power and it was fantastic to have the opportunity to raise money for the charity to continue to do the great work they do!”
Lucy Moss
Seasonal singing
Seasonal singing
A huge thank you to the wonderful choirs who were out and about raising money for Music in Hospitals & Care this Christmas, not only donating an incredible £2,403, but increasing awareness of our cause. Christmas is one of the busiest times of year for our live music, so it is fantastic to receive increased support from people who clearly understand the value of live music at this time of year.
- Shortlands Community and Youth Choir donated the proceedings from their Christmas concert at Bromley Parish Church.
- Companies House choir once again gave up their lunch hour to come and sing at St David’s Shopping Centre in Cardiff.
- A super-choir bmade up of West London Singers and Highgate Musical Theatre Choir gathered under the tree at Trafalgar Square to share a song.
- Edinburgh Choral Union performed Handel’s Messiah at The Usher Hall and kindly arranged a bucket collection.
- We were delighted that the Friends of London Symphony Chorus chose to fundraise for us when they sang in Trafalgar Square.
Doubling donations for twice the impact
Doubling donations for
twice the impact
Our Christmas appeal asked supporters to imagine life without music. Never hearing the opening bars of a favourite song again, or sharing those moments with loved ones.
During the week-long appeal, donations were matched up to £60,000 by our pledgers and champion trust. This was our largest appeal to date and played a significant role in diversifying our income in an increasingly challenging fundraising landscape. We were thrilled to exceed our target, raising a total of £65,718 including Gift Aid.
In March, there was another opportunity for Big Give donors to support, with our Arts for Impact appeal, which focused on our work in critical care and had a target of £5,000. Donations were matched by The Big Give Trust, helping us raise £5,513 including Gift Aid.
During our Christmas appeal:
raised including Gift Aid
donors gave for the first time
Videos from our Vice President Katie Derham and voice of our 2023 Radio 4 appeal Mark Radcliffe received over 3,000 organic views across our social channels and more than 467,500 views through Meta ads.