Celebrating the first of our latest £2000 Grant Recipient: Urban Beat Academy – *Together*
.We are delighted to announce that Urban Beat Academy CIC has been awarded a £2,000 grant from the Sarah Nulty Power of Music Foundation to support their inspiring project, *Together*.
Based in the heart of Sheffield, Urban Beat Academy is a brand-new Community Interest Company set up by Jamie Ferguson, a DJ, producer and mentor who knows first-hand the transformative power of music. Having grown up in care himself, music provided Jamie with a sense of purpose and a pathway into creative and professional opportunities. Today, through Urban Beat Academy and Arundel Lane Studios, Jamie and his team are opening those doors for the next generation.
*Together* is a four-day intensive music programme running this September for up to ten young people aged 14–18 who are facing challenges such as exclusion from mainstream education, care experience, poverty, or struggles with mental health and trauma. Delivered in a professional studio environment, the project will allow participants to learn DJing, beatmaking, lyric writing, recording and performance, while working alongside experienced tutors, youth mentors and guest artists.
It is designed to help young people express themselves safely through music, build confidence, make new connections and discover positive opportunities. The programme will conclude with a celebratory showcase where participants share their work, receive certificates, and take home resource packs including journals, headphones and USB drives to continue their creative journey.
At the Sarah Nulty Power of Music Foundation, our mission is to support projects that use music to bring people together, spark creativity and improve wellbeing, and *Together* embodies all of these values. The project goes far beyond music-making, offering young people improved self-belief, stronger peer relationships, enhanced wellbeing, and real skills that could open doors to future education and training.
Crucially, Urban Beat Academy wants *Together* to be more than a one-off – it will act as a pilot for a repeatable programme running regularly in Sheffield, with past participants invited back as peer mentors to strengthen leadership and build a self-sustaining cycle of support.
We are proud to support Urban Beat Academy as they launch *Together* this September; the project truly reflects the spirit of Sarah’s belief in the power of music to transform lives, strengthen communities and create joy where it is needed most. We look forward to celebrating the voices of the incredible young people taking part.
The Second of our Latest Large Grant recipients is - Sheffield Hospitals Charity
We are delighted to announce that Sheffield Hospitals Charity has been chosen as the second recipient of our latest grant, supporting their transformative Arts in Health music programme.
As the official charity partner of both Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield Hospitals Charity works tirelessly to enhance the experiences of patients, families, and NHS staff across the city. From funding life-changing research to supporting frontline wellbeing projects, their mission is to ensure that care reaches beyond clinical needs and truly supports the whole person.
Through our grant, the charity will provide music therapy and live performances delivered by professional musicians across Sheffield’s hospitals. These specially designed sessions will bring comfort, joy and moments of connection to patients, NHS staff, and visiting families throughout October.
For many who face long or difficult stays in hospital, music offers a vital outlet, a way to lift spirits, reduce loneliness, and promote healing in mind and body. Research has consistently shown that music can improve clinical outcomes, reduce anxiety and stress, and even support recovery times. Within the hospital environment, where emotions often run high, these sessions create moments of lightness and unity.
The impact of this grant will be felt across the hospital community. Around 125 patients will benefit from music engagement, opportunities to learn instruments, and moments of distraction and joy. A further 65 NHS staff members will experience uplifting performances that support their wellbeing during demanding shifts. Families and visitors will also share in music-making, which creates positive memories with loved ones during challenging times.
The stories already shared from Sheffield’s Arts in Health team speak powerfully of music’s ability to connect and comfort. Patients have described how sessions help them smile through difficult days. Families have spoken of the warmth and normality these moments bring. Staff have witnessed first-hand how even the most agitated or withdrawn patients can become calmer, engaged, and present when given the gift of music.
This collaboration feels especially poignant given our Foundation’s roots, celebrating Sarah’s legacy and her unwavering belief in the power of music to bring people together. To support a project so deeply aligned with that vision, in the heart of Sheffield, is truly special.
We look forward to working closely with Sheffield Hospitals Charity over the coming months and to seeing the difference that this project will make. From the sound of song filling wards to the smiles it inspires, this is a shining example of music transforming care.