Supporting people living with dementia through music
Music can be a lifeline for people living with dementia and their carers.
While dementia is a progressive condition without a cure, music can improve mood, offer opportunities for self-expression and creativity, strengthen personal relationships, and reconnect people to those they love.
Research suggests that engagement with music can offer significant social, emotional and cognitive benefits for people living with dementia.
What has been achieved so far?
So far, we’ve raised £2.3 million for the Power of Music Fund, including £500k secured from the NHS. We’ve given grants to over 200 organisations who will support over 12,000 people and create lasting change in the way the health system works with community groups to ensure that many more people living with dementia can benefit in the long term.
The Power of Music Fund kicked off in early 2023 with 100 grants of £1000 to support dementia choirs and singing groups that were struggling to keep going due to rising costs. This was scaled up later that year with a second cohort of grantees offering multi-year small grants to 70 hyper local organisations delivering music activities for people living with dementia. These activities will benefit over 5500 people whilst championing innovators and best practice in the field, as well as focusing on areas of high need.
Music for All have funded a further 32 groups with a focus on activities for global majority communities and will continue to award small grants in 2025 and 2026.
The first Centre of Excellence for Music and Dementia, appointed in April 2024, is a partnership led by Manchester Camerata working with the Greater Manchester NHS, The Alzheimer's Society, The University of Manchester, GM Combined Authority and a range of other local VCSE sector partners. It will test new approaches to embedding music as part of dementia care, gather evidence of cost savings for the NHS through the tracking of 1000 patient journeys and use of NHS services before and after music activities, and design new models of care which can be scaled up and spread across the UK.
By building bridges between the health and social care system and community groups, we can help to take pressure off health and care services and ensure that more people are able to live well with dementia.
What are the aims of the fund
To make accessing music ‘business as usual’ in dementia care and support
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to convene funders and investors to work together to support community music groups, increasing investment
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to generate evidence that music groups have a profound impact, significant enough to reduce demand on the NHS
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to ensure clinicians, commissioners and providers value the role of music
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to systemise music for dementia across the UK
The Rainbow Foundation
Who is involved?
The Power of Music Fund is being managed by the National Academy for Social Prescribing and was kickstarted by a £1 million donation from The Utley Foundation. It aims to bring together support from a range of sources to raise a total of £5 million – including Government bodies, philanthropists, trusts and foundations, businesses, individual donors. Currently supported by The Utley Foundation, Arts Council England, The Rayne Foundation, Music for All and other donors, including members of the public, and we continue to bring on board new investors to grow the fund.
This shared investment model is a realistic and practical way of funding community-based social prescribing activities, so that people who would benefit from non-medical support can be referred to it.
Applications for funding have now closed. Please sign up to our Power of Music mailing list to hear out about future rounds, updates and ways to get involved.
The Power of Music Learning Network
In 2024, NASP and Manchester Camerata launched the Power of Music Learning Network for music and dementia projects across the UK. Open to anyone, we share learning, discuss challenges and hear from members about their work. Monthly webinars focus on developing best practice across the country and celebrating the incredible work of our members.
If you work in music and dementia and want to join our growing community, please complete this form.
Playlist for Life: personal music for dementia
A personalised playlist is a low-cost and unique tool which can bring joy and highlight the ‘me’ in dementia. From managing symptoms of dementia to strengthening connections with family and carers, a playlist has so many benefits.
Hear from guest speakers at the Power of Music launch event
This event was hosted to celebrate the launch of the Power of Music Fund in November 2023, where we heard from our partners and funders as well as MP John Whittingdale.
