Crookes Brass Band

We have exciting news from Sheffield! Grimethorpe Colliery Band has revived Crookes Brass Band after 86 years, bringing music back to the community. Every Wednesday, brass players gather in Walkley to learn and perform under Grimethorpe's guidance, marking a significant cultural revival.

The inaugural concert in April 2024 will feature Jamie Smith from Grimethorpe as a guest soloist. Crookes Brass Band has already reached capacity, thanks to Grimethorpe's initiative providing free instruments and tuition.

To ensure the bands' sustainability, we at The Sarah Nulty Power of Music Foundation have given a grant to cover venue costs for their first-year concerts, benefiting 40 in Crookes Brass Band and 20 in the Training Band.

The support will establish these bands as vital community assets, providing opportunities for musical development and fostering a sense of pride and belonging in Walkley and Crookes. Building a brighter future through music together!

#PowerOfMusic #CommunityBrass #BeMoreNulty #Sheffieldmusic

Large Grants for 2024 are open for applications!

We are thrilled to announce the opening of our third round of large grants, providing support to impactful projects in the community. You can apply here by midnight on the 23rd March 2024!

In the previous round, Pattern and Push, as well as Bluebell Woods, were the proud recipients of our grants, showcasing their dedication to making a positive impact. Here's a closer look at their outstanding initiatives:

Pattern and Push

Mission: Supporting young aspiring vocalists and musicians facing various vulnerabilities, Pattern and Push focus on creating a positive impact through music.

Activities:

• Annual talent competition with workshops and masterclasses.

• Grassroots stage at Peddler market showcasing local up-and-coming artists.

• Involvement in major events and platforms such as Tramlines, No Bounds festival, Hope Works venue, and BBC 1Xtra.

• Workshops in partnership with organizations like the National Literary Trust, including those in prisons for young offenders and homeless charities.

Core Message: Promoting positive themes and messaging in music, steering away from negativity often associated with rap culture.

Grant Usage: £2000 for a refresh, redesign, and print run of Positive Lyric Packs, a tangible tool providing inspiration for positive songwriting to young musicians in prisons and vulnerable groups.

Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice

Mission: Providing respite, therapies, and opportunities for young people (up to age 25) with life-limiting conditions and their families.

Initiative: "Bluebell Wood-Stock" music festival in September 2024, offering a festival experience for young people and families, featuring live bands and a marquee in the grounds of Bluebell Wood.

Goals:

• Allow young people to experience a live music event in a festival atmosphere in a safe place with necessary adaptations.

• Provide a sensory and social experience through the power of live music.

• Enable families to participate in a safe and controlled event as a family.

• Raise the profile of Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice in the media and attract sponsorship from corporations and other charities.

Grant Usage: Supporting the cost of bands and PA equipment for the "Bluebell Wood-Stock" music festival.

Desired Impact: Enriching the lives of over 100 young people and their families, offering a unique and memorable music festival experience.

We are honored to support these impactful projects and look forward to receiving applications for our third round of large grants. Apply now and be a part of positive change in the community!

Snowdrop Project attendee

We are delighted to be able to support this wonderful Snowdrop Project whose objectives revolve around alleviating the plight of those who are, have been, or are at risk of becoming victims of slavery or human trafficking. Their focus lies in providing charitable assistance through case working, counseling, advocacy, and related support services.

They are dedicated to supporting and empowering survivors of modern slavery and exploitation in South Yorkshire, aiding them in their recovery and the reconstruction of their futures. Snowdrop adopts a holistic, community-based approach, ensuring long-term support that addresses essential needs such as independent living, physical and mental well-being, community engagement, education, and employment. Their comprehensive support is delivered through a casework program grounded in social work principles, an in-house counseling service, house renovations, and community activities.

Their in-house community activities, such as a toddler group, sewing, and ESOL/IT skills, serve as a low-threshold means of reducing isolation and rebuilding trust. Additionally, they facilitate access to external community activities like nature conservation, volunteering, climbing, ESOL, and music appreciation/lessons, fostering broader community integration and independence.

This application seeks funding for a specific individual—an opportunity to cover 6 months of music lessons at a Sheffield music school for the 5-year-old daughter of one of their clients. The mother is a refugee receiving universal credit, lacking savings, and unable to afford music lessons for her daughter. Recognising the potential benefits, she emphasises how music can help her daughter focus, regulate her mood, provide intellectual challenges, and enhance social skills and networking opportunities.

Survivors of trafficking often bear the weight of societal stigma associated with abuse/exploitation, making it challenging to cope with shame and prejudice. Parents work diligently to mitigate the negative impact of their trauma across generations, and a child's development of skills and social repertoire significantly contributes to the family's resilience. Resilience, rather than a solitary effort, is a communal characteristic. The ability of the mother and her daughter to bounce back and thrive is largely influenced by the supportive communities in which they reside, including local organisations like The Sarah Nulty Power of Music Foundation.

The Snowdrop Project | A Future Free From Modern Slavery

We are pleased to announce we have given a second grant to The Snowdrop Project for their newest community activity, Little Singing Sessions.

The Snowdrop Project empowers survivors of modern slavery to tackle their many challenges and take control of their futures. Reintegrating into society, finding friendships and learning to trust people again are essential elements in the process of recovery for survivors. Isolation and loneliness can be enormous barriers for survivors. However, they often see drastic improvements in the well-being and confidence of clients and their children after attending our community activities.

Snowdrop aim to remove as many barriers as possible for individuals to participate by offering onsite childcare and contributing to transport costs so clients can enjoy the activity, meet other people and relax.

To date, Little Singing Sessions have happened at the end of Snowdrop’s weekly parent and toddler group meetings. Group singing with parents and toddlers has proven to be very popular and been really helpful for parents and toddlers to develop English language skills.

With funding from our foundation, Snowdrop will be able to offer the sing along sessions as stand-alone groups. The grant will go towards launching a pilot of weekly sessions, which will aim to encourage parents and toddlers to play music, sing along and have fun.

From the sessions Snowdrop hopes to achieve;
- New opportunities for parents and children have to engage with others in a social setting - Support the development of language skills - Prepare the little ones for school by providing a safe place for them to learn how to sit and listen and cooperate with others

“We're really pleased to share that we've recently started a weekly Music & Story Time group for Snowdrop clients and their babies & toddlers . The group will provide an opportunity for our clients' children to learn and play through song and stories We're looking forward to sharing more updates from the group when we can! A big thank you to The Sarah Nulty Power of Music Foundation for helping to fund the group with a grant!” - The Snowdrop Project

Bringing Joy and Connection to White Willows through Creative Music Sessions

We were delighted to support this project for individuals who live in residential accommodation at White Willows Extra Care Scheme. There are a number of amazing benefits music can bring to older people including;
- Reducing stress and anxiety - Improve speech and cognitive skills - Increase social activity - Inspire movement - Tackle boredom and improve mood

The provided grant will be go towards offering high-quality creative music sessions for elderly individuals residing in the White Willows residential schemes, who experience isolation. The residents, with an average age of 81, have been identified through resident data to have below-average access to the arts. White Willows is situated in an area characterized by high levels of deprivation, ranking in the top decile in the index of multiple deprivation.

During the pandemic, funding enabled White Willows to address the limited access to the arts by organizing creative sessions for the residents. Since the conclusion of the funding period, residents have expressed a desire for more music sessions. These sessions have proven beneficial in fostering connections among residents, promoting happiness, and boosting confidence.

The grant will specifically contribute to the implementation of six additional music sessions, facilitated by experienced musicians. It's worth noting that the Sheffield Council has also extended its support to this initiative.

Bens Centre for Vulnerable People

We are thrilled to announce a £500 grant in support of the remarkable Bens Centre, a self-referral day center dedicated to assisting adults facing challenges with addiction to drugs or alcohol, homelessness, and often concurrent mental health disorders. The center's distinctive approach allows clients to access their facilities without judgment based on prior substance use.

Their proposed initiative outlines four 2-hour sessions, led by Ritetrax, designed as follows: Session 1 focuses on basic decks/rhythm work, Session 2 introduces specialist digital music equipment and instruments, Session 3 involves clients applying their skills to contribute to a musical piece, and Session 4 sees clients showcasing and advancing their freestyle skills.

“Thank you so much, it took quite a while to organise but was well worth the wait. Ritetrax came to Ben’s Centre each week from mid-November until our Christmas party on the 21st December 2023 and were very well received. We managed to have some very informal jamming sessions and also some karaoke, which the clients loved. One client said to another “I’ve known you for years and didn’t know you could sing like that”.  The clients truly immersed themselves in the atmosphere and we have been able to secure some further sessions (tba) for this year.” - Bens Centre