Soothing Sounds at Sheffield Children’s hospital : Bringing Calm to Critical Care
We’re really pleased to be supporting Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity again and to help bring more music to children, young people and families during some really tough times.
This summer, we’re teaming up to bring live, calming music into some of the busiest and most sensitive areas of Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
The Hospital looks after hundreds of thousands of babies, children and young people every year from across Sheffield and South Yorkshire. The Charity helps the hospital go beyond standard NHS care, funding things that make a real difference to treatment, comfort and wellbeing.
Soothing Sounds at Sheffield Children’s will bring gentle, acoustic music to the High Dependency Unit, Intensive Care Unit, Neonatal Surgical Unit and the Emergency Department. These are places where children, families and staff often feel stressed, worried and exhausted.
Across the summer, there will be a series of afternoon sessions led by a small team of specialist musicians. The idea is simple: soften the beeps and buzz of machines, create a calmer atmosphere and give families a few moments of comfort, connection and even joy.
Three brilliant musicians will be leading the sessions are all used to working in hospital settings and know how to read the room, whether that means a quiet lullaby or a much needed sing‑along.
The ward teams will plan the sessions so that the musicians can visit children and families who are likely to benefit most. Sometimes that might be music at the bedside; other times it might be playing in a shared space on the ward.
Staff will be keeping an eye on how the music changes the feel of the ward, things like how settled children seem, how families are coping and how the overall atmosphere shifts and they’ll gather feedback and stories from everyone involved.
The team has already seen what a difference music can make at Sheffield Children’s:
· On the Neonatal Surgical Unit, staff watched as unsettled babies calmed and stopped crying during the music. One member of staff said, “I’ve never seen this baby so calm.”
· An older child asked for the Peppa Pig theme tune, which put a smile on his face and his dad’s while he was stuck in a cast.
· On the High Dependency Unit, a mum told staff the song they played completely changed her day, and she “told every single person they have seen” about it.
· A Clinical Lead summed it up perfectly: “The power of music is incredible… The impact you have is incredible!”
Stories like these are exactly why our foundation exists – to share the power of music where it’s needed most.
Soothing Sounds at Sheffield Children’s will run over the summer, reaching children, families and staff across four key areas of the hospital.
We’re proud to play a part in this journey and to support Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity as they bring comfort, colour and music into the hospital one gentle song at a time.
Continued Support for The Choir with No Name, Sheffield
We’re really excited to be supporting The Choir with No Name in Sheffield again. The first time we funded them was right at the beginning, when the Sheffield choir was just getting off the ground and members were being recruited.
This new grant will help cover the costs of their freelance choir director, Oli Kluczewski, who leads weekly rehearsals for people in Sheffield affected by homelessness and related challenges, including addiction, mental health issues, social isolation and experiences of displacement. Week after week, members come together to sing, share a hot meal and spend time in a warm, welcoming community.
Over the coming year, the choir will be out and about performing across the city, including at least six gigs and their much-loved Christmas concert. These performances give members the chance to step into the spotlight, grow in confidence and challenge some of the negative stereotypes around homelessness.
We’re so proud to continue backing The Choir with No Name and to play a small part in helping music bring stability, purpose and joy to some of Sheffield’s most excluded communities.