_edited.png)
​
Our 5 Year Anniversary
We’re so thrilled to be celebrating our 5 year anniversary this year. Over the past 5 years we have seen intergenerational music practice develop and thrive across the UK. Our dedicated team of music therapists, community musicians, specialists and creatives have continued to develop strong industry partnerships across the sectors, supporting both individual and collective wellbeing for all ages through unique intergenerational music making. We wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on our achievements, celebrate how large our community has grown, and the impact our work has had in just half a decade.
IMM and our work are rooted in leveling up communities through innovative partnership working, digital and in person innovation, individual empowerment and holistic approaches to health, care and wellbeing. We take a place-based approach to delivery, working with communities to shape and tailor our services to ensure we are meeting local need.
(1)_edited.jpg)
Our independent research tells us there are five key aspects to what works:
​
-
Bringing people together to share meaningful stories
-
Enabling equal-status interactions (and mutually experienced value) between people from different walks of life
-
Nurturing people’s agency to improve their own lives
-
Cultivating a shared sense of belonging within and to a specific place
-
Empowering individuals through training and transference of knowledge, skills, and capability
We will continue to focus on creating spaces whereby voices from across generations can be heard and acknowledged. Working with Schools, care homes, local musicians and creatives, GPs, social prescribers, NHS, families and community members to ensure health inequalities across the UK are addressed.
Our Stakeholders
-
Care Homes
-
Schools (primary, secondary, SEN, PRU
-
University students
-
Volunteers
-
Those living with Dementia
-
Adults and children with learning difficulties
-
Stroke and Parkinson
-
Older people living in the community
-
Those suffering from mental health issues
​
Due to the intergenerational nature of our work, we are delivering services across the care, health, education, community and arts centre. Our projects and training include people from across demographics, background, pathologies and generations.
Together With Music - Our Response To Covid-19
​
Together with Music is a virtual, intergenerational music programme; a partnership between IMM and Care England, that builds connections between care homes, residents, older people and their local schools and youth groups. It’s a free platform that allows those groups to connect in locations local to them and set up projects to promote community cohesion, improve wellbeing of all groups and make meaningful connections all through the power of music.
​
Since the launch of Together with Music in 2020, the platform has been host to over 1,450 organisations across the health, social care, education and arts sector establishing so many new, intergenerational connections and demonstrating that during a challenging time of distance and isolation, music prevails and can inspire incredible connection.
We are so proud to say that during a time of uncertainty, and with the help of our amazing partners, our team has managed to create a strong and creative community that is a home to people of all ages.
​
Currently TwM has reached:
​
-
78,000 engaged community members
-
9000 people living with dementia
-
400 intergenerational projects delivered by our team and fully trained volunteers
-
96 creative partners
-
280 staff that our team has trained through this initiative
​
Through the support of our funders, the programme has expanded and we’ve been able to set up a multitude of additional projects. We’ve delivered:
​
-
A songwriting tour across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
-
We are currently delivering over 100 projects across Surrey Downs area working with schools and care homes to try and improve the lives of Surrey Downs residents
-
We’ve designed bespoke music community hubs, currently operating in 4 different locations
​
Move & Groove - Combatting Health Inequalities Through Music
​
​
Move and Groove, an IMM partnership programme, sets out to accelerate the growth and impact of intergenerational practice, and maximise the health and social benefits of young and old alike. The project includes clear phases of delivery and training which aim to address health inequalities, loneliness, isolation, inactivity, and mental health challenges for ALL ages.
Offering innovative training and projects which combine the worlds of music with movement.
We have just completed a successful pilot in collaboration with Youth Sport Trust and South Bank University across the below areas:
​
-
​Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire
-
Ashford, Kent
-
Great Bookham, Surrey
-
Twickenham, Surrey
-
Wimbledon, London
-
Bury, Lancs
-
Reigate, Surrey
-
New Brighton, Merseyside
-
Weymouth, Dorset
-
Matlock, Derby
​
​
At IMM, we believe that everyone has the ability to respond to music. Through our intergenerational projects, training, research and campaigning we aim to build bridging across generations, sectors and professionals contributing to stronger, more cohesive communities, whilst tackling health inequalities. Move and Groove focussed on creating spaces for employment, volunteering and access to projects that can support both physical and mental well being. We have recognised that the wider determinants of health encompass every part of an individual, considering race, economic background, health, gender, and culture. We need to find solutions that can fundamentally support an individual, working across sectors and professionals to create change.
​
​
_JPG.jpg)
Music Therapy - Supporting Hospital Residents
​
Music therapy is based on the understanding that all human beings are able to respond to music, irrespective of musical ability. It is used as a tool for expression that allows us to be in touch with our emotions more deeply and allows for freedom of communication, without the need for words.
Music therapists can provide pain treatment, a distraction, something to do whilst waiting to be seen or discharged and is also a great way to combat boredom for patients and caregivers. Working with mental health nurses can empower staff to use music therapy techniques in their work and therefore reduces the pressure on them too. Future work could include education sessions for staff on how to use music effectively on the ward every day.
​
In the last year, IMM has started and supported 6 placements at:
​
-
Frimley Farnham & Wexham Hospital
-
St Peters Royal Surrey Hospital
-
Woodlands Primary School
-
CFS Primary and Secondary School
​
Our IMM Training
​
We believe that continuity of work is crucial to supporting the wellbeing of the people that we work with. That’s why we offer bespoke training programmes to staff, activity coordinates and volunteers so that they feel equipped and have the confidence to run their own activities and sessions when our team is not there.
The intergenerational training delivered follows this ethos of accessibility and empowerment for people to adopt music as part of their current practices, whether a musician or not. The training aims to inspire, equip, and further embed the use of music, and more specifically intergenerational practice in care, health, community, and education settings.
​
We’re thrilled to say that so far, IMM has been able to successfully train 634 staff members in intergenerational practice throughout a wide range of communities.
​
Research & The Difference We Make
​
We know from experience that music can connect and transcend across age, race and background and empower individuals to raise their voices. Music and specifically, intergenerational music has the ability to sit at the heart of our community ecosystem providing a response to health, care, job and employment, health inequalities, social prescribing and community development.
​
We are proud to say that we continue to work with partners such as London South Bank University to continue to research the benefits of intergenerational practice, and ways to integrate this line of work in the wider ecosystem.
​
We hope that one day intergenerational practice becomes a standard practice across sectors to continue to battle health inequalities, and improve wellbeing through a holistic approach to care using cultural as well as medicinal means of treatment.
​
Thank you to all of our supporters, partners, funders and participants that have made our work possible so far. We look forward to continuing to be at the helm of inspiring and guiding intergenerational practice within the UK and are very excited to see what the next 5 years have in store for us!
.png)
