Over £1million of funding will enable Greater Manchester to become the UK’s first Centre of Excellence for Music and Dementia – hosted by Manchester Camerata.
The cash, committed by the mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, Sir Richard Lees (chair of NHS Greater Manchester) and the National Academy for Social Prescribing, will allow Manchester Camerata and Alzheimer’s Society to continue their ground-breaking research-based music therapy programmes.
Music in Mind (Camerata) and Singing for the Brain (Alzheimer’s Society) want to offer more musical support to people living with dementia across all of Greater Manchester.
The project will also receive in-kind support from the University of Manchester and Alzheimer’s Society.
Alzheimer’s Society suggests that by 2025 there will be over 1 million people with dementia in the UK, projected to rise to nearly 1.6 million by 2040.
Currently, the care of those living with dementia in the UK costs more than £34 billion per year.
The UK’s first Centre of Excellence for Music and Dementia plans to use the knowledge and research built up over the next three years to analyse how the implementation of music in dementia care can reduce the need for health and care services whilst simultaneously improving quality of their life.
This significant and successful bid will see both organisations run four weekly music cafes in each of the 10 Greater Manchester boroughs.
Together they will collaborate with the University of Manchester and the NHS to undertake anonymised data-driven research into the impact and power that these music sessions have for people living with dementia and the way in which they can reduce pressure on hard-pressed frontline NHS and social care staff.
Manchester Camerata and Alzheimer’s Society will recruit, nurture and train a volunteer and community workforce of 300 ‘Music Champions’ who will be trained to deliver the Music Cafes, helping to support over 1000 people living with dementia in Greater Manchester across three years starting from October 2024.
Bob Riley, chief executive of Manchester Camerata, said: “This is a colossal moment built on over ten years of work and research in partnership with The University of Manchester. We know it will bring much-needed support for people living with dementia and their carers. It will create new opportunities for our amazing musicians in the UK, and bring about changes in the way we invest in music to bring the widest possible benefits to society.
“Sincere thanks to the leadership and vision of Andy Burnham, Sir Richard Leese and NHS GM, the National Academy of Social Prescribing, The Utley Foundation, Arts Council England and many others.”
Mr Burnham, said: “This is fantastic news for Greater Manchester, and a reminder of the power of music to shape our lives and our communities. Manchester Camerata have played a key role in our Music Commission, and I’ve seen firsthand the transformational impact of what they do in our city-region. They are the ideal partner to pioneer the UK’s first Centre of Excellence for Music and Dementia, working with the Alzheimer’s Society to unlock the potential of music as therapy.”
Pic credit: Jay Cipriani
