We are delighted to have played a part in securing a £1.6 million grant for leading music and dementia charity, Playlist for Life. The award from the National Lottery Community Fund will be used to raise awareness of the benefits of playlists, and part fund the expansion of the Playlist for Life community Help Points network to 1,500 across the UK.
Playlist for Life supports those experiencing dementia, their families and carers, teaching them how to create a unique personal playlist of the soundtrack to a person’s life. Each playlist allows others to ‘see’ the person with dementia through the music they love, with recipients experiencing absolute joy from their soundtrack and a way to re-connect with loved ones. The Help Points are hosted by existing organisations like libraries and churches, with Playlist for Life providing free training and resources to promote the power of music to help those with dementia.
Partner Fiona Haro, Head of Charities at Thomson Cooper, is Treasurer with Playlist for Life, “We are very grateful for this generous award, knowing the tremendous impact it will have on our mission to improve the lives of people effected by dementia. Huge thanks go to those involved in the Lottery application and the hundreds of volunteers throughout the UK who help re-connect families and their loved ones through the power of playlists.”
Partner Fiona Haro
To celebrate the award, and the fact that BBC Music Day 2019 will highlight the power of music to help people with dementia, Playlist for Life will be promoting ‘Musical Teas’ in communities across the UK in the run up to Music Day on 26 September. For more information, or to apply to become a Help Point, visit www.playlistforlife.org.uk
Playlist for Life was founded in 2013 by the broadcaster and writer, Sally Magnusson, after the death of her mother Mamie, who had the disease. In six years the charity has gone from strength to strength and this National Lottery award is a significant boost to its ambitious plans to reach every family affected by dementia with the power of playlists, all over the UK.
Broadcaster Sally Magnusson, founder of Playlist for Life, said:
“I founded Playlist for Life to share with other families something we had to discover by accident when caring for my mother: personal music helps dementia. My vision was that if every person with dementia has a unique personal playlist and everyone who loves or cares for them knows how to use it, then we can improve the way we connect and care for people living with this illness.”
“This award from The National Lottery Community Fund brings that vision closer. We are grateful for their faith in us and excited about the work to come.”