The Utley Foundation

The Power of Music Fund

Jan 26, 2023 | News

Grants for ‘Dementia Choirs’ to provide urgent funding to groups that transform lives through music

 

At 9am on 13th February 2023, grants of £1,000 will be made available to 100 community choirs and singing groups across the UK, to help bring the life-changing power of music to people living with dementia and their carers.

The new fund, established by The National Academy for Social Prescribing [NASP] and The Utley Foundation, is a response to last year’s Power of Music report, which called for investment in music programmes for health and wellbeing, among other recommendations. [1]

It is also inspired by the ‘Our Dementia Choir’ documentary, which features the creation and development of a choir in Nottingham. Presented by Vicky McClure – whose grandmother had dementia – the programme made an appeal for more funding to be made available for other dementia choirs and singing groups, as it demonstrated the transformational difference singing makes in its participants’ lives.

Through the £100,000 fund, community choirs and singing groups will be able to apply for small grants to cover the travel, room hire, refreshment or administration costs that can often get in the way of making choirs and singing groups a viable option for those with dementia.

To help get money to people fast, the fund will work on a first come first served basis (weighted to ensure grants go to people across the country and to reflect diversity). Opening for applications on 13th February for 48 hours, the first round of grants will be awarded at the beginning of March. More information for applicants on the registration process will be available here from 26th January.

This fund is a precursor to a wider £5 million Power of Music fund, which will offer much larger grants to projects wanting to harness the power of music to improve their community’s health and wellbeing. The fund is due to be launched by NASP in partnership with The Utley Foundation and other funders later in the year.

 

 

 

According to the Power of Music report, published last year, an estimated 209,600 people [2] will develop dementia this year. This figure, combined with those already living with dementia, will cost the UK £34.7 billion each year. The health and social care costs of dementia are more than those of cancer and chronic heart disease combined [3].

Music therapy is a proven solution to this increasing problem, with research showing that it is the best type of therapy for reducing the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia [4]. Not only does it improve quality of life, it can also reduce agitation and the need for medication in 67% of people with dementia [5].

Vicky McClure said: “Week after week, I see the power of music in action with Our Dementia Choir members, their family members and carers. It’s fantastic to see this funding be made available for choirs and singing groups across the UK and I really hope it helps them to keep doing what they do so brilliantly to support those living with dementia, and importantly, those who care for them.”

Sunita Pandya, interim CEO of the National Academy for Social Prescribing, said: “Our Dementia Choir is probably one of the best-known examples of what we call ‘social prescribing’ – that is, connecting people to activities, groups and services that can improve their health and wellbeing. We know that choirs and community singing groups aren’t just a way for people to pass the time, but can make a lifechanging difference to people’s mental and physical health.

“That is why we have partnered with The Utley Foundation, to award small grants to local dementia choirs who may be struggling with basic costs like room hire and travel after a challenging winter.

“Over the coming months, we plan to drive forward the recommendations of the Power of Music report, and work with partners to fund more music projects having an impact across the country.”

 

 

 

Grace Meadows, Campaign Director for the Utley Foundation’s Music for Dementia campaign said: “When we published the Power of Music report in April 2022, we wanted to see the practical, actionable recommendations being brought to life in meaningful ways to position music as a vital public health tool.

“Music has an incredible power to improve and enrich people’s lives. The launch of this fund is an exciting direct response to those recommendations and will be a welcome support for the many singing groups and choirs across the country that provide a vital lifeline to people living with dementia and their carers.”

NASP and The Utley Foundation are working with UK Music, Universal Music and other partners to build on the findings of the Power of Music report.

 

Notes to editors

The Power of Music Fund: Dementia Choirs and Singing Groups will launch on 13th February. Full information about the application process will be available here from Thursday 26th January.

[1] UK Music and Music for Dementia: The Power of Music report, 2022: Power-of-Music-Report-Final-Pages.pdf (ukmusic.org)

[2] Alzheimer’s Society: Facts for the media about dementia | Alzheimer’s Society (alzheimers.org.uk)

[3] Raphael Wittenberg, Bo Hu, Luis Barraza-Araiza, Amritpal Rehill. Projections of older people with dementia and costs of dementia care in the United Kingdom 2019-2040: 3. 3-6.

[4] Abraha I, Rimland, JM Trotta FM et al. Systematic review of systematic reviews of non-pharmacological interventions to treat behavioral disturbances in older patients with dementia. The SENATOR – OnTop series.

[5] All Party Parliamentary Group on Arts Health and Wellbeing, Creative Health: The Arts for Health and Wellbeing 2017, Older Adulthood, Music 8.6.4, 133

 

 

Contact details

Online 

About the National Academy for Social Prescribing

We are an organisation dedicated to the advancement of social prescribing through promotion, collaboration and innovation. We work to create partnerships, across the arts, health, sports, leisure, and the natural environment, alongside other aspects of our lives, to promote health and wellbeing at a national and local level. We will champion social prescribing and the work of local communities in connecting people for wellbeing.

Our objectives are to

  • Make some noise – raising the profile of social prescribing
  • Find resources – develop innovative funding partnerships
  • Build relationships – broker and build relationships across all sectors
  • Improve the evidence – shape and share the evidence base
  • Spread what works – promote learning on social prescribing

About the Utley Foundation

The Utley Foundation is a private charitable trust established by Neil and Nicky Utley in 2014 to deliver change in areas of charitable interest to their family. The Utley Foundation established its cross-sector Music for Dementia campaign in 2018 as part of its ambition to ensure music is made an integral part of care for all those living with dementia.

 

 

About the Music for Dementia campaign

The Music for Dementia campaign is founded and funded by the Utley Foundation and is the cross-sector campaign to make music an integral part of dementia care. We already include more than 200 organisations from the NHS, care sector, third sector and music sector plus thousands of individual supporters, many with lived experience.

TV and radio presenter Lauren Laverne urges people with dementia, their families and carers to build music playlists this Christmas with the launch of free guides

Dec 5, 2019 | News

  • The multi-talented radio DJ is spearheading the Music for Dementia 2020 Campaign, which calls for the government, music industry, health and social care sectors and friends and families to work towards giving everyone with dementia the right to music as part of their care, as well as to access music free of charge, wherever they are.
  • As Music for Dementia 2020’s ambassador, she is encouraging people to create playlists for their loved ones using new step-by-step guides, after research reveals the benefits of personalised music for people living with dementia.
  • Lauren speaks about creating a nine-hour playlist with her dad shortly before his death and continues to listen to and update it.
  • She is encouraging people to share their playlists online to raise awareness of how this can help families during Christmas, which can be a hard time of year.

TV and Radio host Lauren Laverne is launching a new initiative to highlight the positive impact music can have for people living with dementia – with a series of guides on how to create the perfect personalised playlist. 

Growing evidence shows listening to music with a personal connection has huge benefits for people living with dementia, however there is not enough public awareness of how music can help, and it is a lottery whether someone living with dementia will experience music as part of their care. 

The festive season can be a stressful time for those living with dementia, their families and carers as usual routines are disrupted. However, creating a personalised playlist can reduce some of the symptoms of dementia such as agitation, as well as bringing people together to build an emotional connection, facilitate conversations and create memories.
The presenter, who made a nine-hour playlist with her father, Dr Leslie Grofton, before he died last November, speaks out today about the comfort she took from creating a playlist with her dad. Lauren says she continues to add to it and incorporate songs into her flagship breakfast radio show.

Lauren said: “I have seen first-hand the deep conversations, comfort and ongoing legacy that can grow out of creating a playlist with a loved one. It was something I did with my dad before he died of kidney disease last year. Music was a huge part of his life but by then he was too poorly to access his own collection. It took a whole day and when we were done, we were left with nine hours’ worth of music. I’m still adding to it as well as listening to it and it is enormously comforting. It helps me feel closer to him. I’m so glad I did this when he was still around, it not only provided a deeper connection when we were together, but his favourite music can still reach me and speak to me now. I want this to be available to everyone who has a loved one living with dementia.”

The way people are using technology to listen to and enjoy music is changing, but not everyone caring for someone with dementia knows how to access these platforms and use them to create playlists. That’s why Music for Dementia 2020 has published guides to help create playlists on Amazon, Apple, Spotify, Google and YouTube.

The Music for Dementia 2020 guides include practical advice for those with dementia and their carers on how to build a playlist on a variety of platforms. 

Neil Utley, Founder and Trustee of The Utley Foundation, said: “As someone who is involved in the music industry and just loves music, I am delighted that the Music for Dementia 2020 Campaign and Playlist for Life have come together to promote these guides.

We know the devastating impact dementia can have, not just on the individual but their families and carers too. Everyone living with dementia should be offered music as part of their care. We are calling on the music industry, health and social care sectors, and the general public to work with us to make it free and easy for people with dementia to access music. “

Music for Dementia 2020 campaigns for people with dementia to have the right to music as part of their care and access music free of charge, wherever they are. We believe everyone diagnosed with dementia must be offered music as part of their care, no matter who or where they are.  While some streaming services offer free accounts, the music is interspersed with adverts, which can disorientate and interrupt their experience of listening to their personalised playlist.

Grace Meadows, Programme Director at Music for Dementia 2020, said: “Having access to personalised music, in the right way and at the right time, has been shown to be much more effective than just putting the radio on or listening indiscriminately to music.  The act of creating a personalised playlist, whether that’s done online, writing it down on a piece of paper or by going through your music collection with someone, makes up the soundtrack of your life.  

Often people living with dementia, their friends and carers don’t know how to get on to the right platform to stream a playlist, nor do they know how to have a conversation with their loved one about what music they would like on it.  By launching new step-by-step visual guides, which can be found on www.musicfordementia2020.com we are encouraging people to create a playlist this Christmas which can reduce some of the symptoms of dementia such as agitation, as well as bringing people together to build an emotional connection, facilitate conversations and create memories.”

Notes for Editors

What is a playlist?

Playlists offer a way of musically capturing all the songs or pieces of music that make up the soundtrack to your life. There are a number of ways in which you can make a playlist, from writing a list a list of songs on paper to burning a CD to creating one digitally online.

Personalised music can reduce some of the symptoms of dementia. We will be calling on family members and carers to develop playlists for people living with dementia all year round, not just at Christmas.

Benefits of using playlists: 

A major review in 2017 confirmed that ‘among sensory stimulation interventions, the only convincingly effective intervention for reducing behavioural symptoms (specifically agitation and aggressive behaviour) was music therapy’. (Reference: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/7/3/e012759)

A second review that year showed “music intervention significantly reduces agitated behaviours in demented people.” (Reference: https://www.playlistforlife.org.uk/the-science)
Our partners, Playlist for Life, bases its work upon the evidence-based erdner Protocol 5th Edition developed over the course of twenty years at Stanford University.  The protocol describes how correct use of playlists is proven to bring about reductions in (1) use of psychotropic medication (2) use of restraints (3) stress and distress (4) wandering.

About Music for Dementia 2020

Music for Dementia 2020 campaigns for people with dementia to have the right to music as part of their care and access music free of charge, wherever they are. We are calling on the music industry, philanthropists, and the health and social care sectors to help make it free and easy for people with dementia to access music.

Music for Dementia 2020 has partnered with Live Music Now to launch a new Musical Care Taskforce, which brings together more than 60 leading representatives from across health, social care, dementia and music with the aim to make music an essential element of dementia care.

In September 2019, we launched our Musical Map – an online interactive map which will become the largest and most comprehensive database of dementia friendly music services in the UK.
To find out more about the campaign, musical map and the taskforce, visit www.musicfordementia2020.com

About The Utley Foundation

The Utley Foundation was founded in 2014 by Neil and Nicky Utley. The Foundation exists to advance social causes and to act as a catalyst for greater funding and wider action for the causes it supports. Music is a personal passion of the founders and trustees and underpins many of the key funding areas of interest to the foundation. The trust has other charitable objectives including Armed Forces Veterans, Children and Overseas Aid.

Music for Dementia Launches Musical Map for Dementia

Sep 26, 2019 | News

The campaign seeks nationwide support to help people with dementia find music related events and services in their area

  • Music for Dementia is launching the first ever Musical Map for Dementia. Its aim is to provide those affected by the condition information on music- based events and services in their area.
  • Music has a wide range of benefits for people living with dementia and yet many people with dementia and their carers do not know where or how to access them.
  • The campaign is calling on individuals and organisations such as choirs, music groups, music therapists from across the country to come forward and submit their details to the map to help make life easier for people with dementia and to give back the gift of music.

Thursday 26 September 2019: London, UK. As part of the Music for Dementia Campaign of making music more accessible for people living with dementia, the organisation is launching a Musical Map for Dementia. The map will highlight nationwide dementia-friendly musical activities and services.

The Campaign has been working collaboratively with BBC Music Day to highlight the power music can and does have for people living with dementia, as well as their families and carers. It is calling upon the 70 organisations involved with Music Day, and all the other many practitioners nationwide to come forward and submit their details via http://www.musicfordementia.org.uk in order to reveal the many services in existence across the UK.

Grace Meadows, Programme Director at Music for Dementia and a senior music therapist said: “Music for people living with dementia isn’t a nicety, it’s a necessity. I’ve witnessed first-hand the power of music in helping transform people’s lives. In every corner of the country there are talented people delivering musical services that can alleviate the often-distressing symptoms of dementia, such as agitation, apathy and anxiety but it’s vital people know where they are and how to access them.”

Research has shown music provides a wide range of emotional, health and wellbeing benefits and in June 2019 The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recognised the importance of music therapy in its guidance on quality standards for dementia care. However, a report for the Campaign from the International Longevity Centre (ILC-UK) found that while there are pockets of excellent community-based dementia-friendly music offerings, provision is disparate and people with dementia and their families and carers are not clear on how or where to go to find out about services.

Neil Utley, Founder and Trustee of The Utley Foundation, said: “Our Musical Map for Dementia will open up a whole new world for people living with dementia and those who care for them. People affected by dementia and their carers can experience social isolation and loneliness. We know from research that there are fantastic people out there already providing valuable music-based events and services. We are just asking them to tell us where they are and what they are doing so we can help promote their services to the people that need them.”
Music for Dementia is leading the way to remedy this by offering a Musical Map for Dementia, which is free to access for all.

If you run any form of dementia-friendly music service or are aware of one in your local area please visit http://www.musicfordementia.org.uk and fill out the online form.

Examples of events already on the map include a dementia friendly performance of La Bohème by Opera North taking place on October 24th. This performance is tailored for people living with dementia and their families or carers, so that they can enjoy a live performance in an environment that is comfortable and supportive.

Alice Gilmour, Access Officer for Opera North, said “At Opera North, we’re committed to breaking down any barrier which prevents someone from experiencing opera. We are particularly keen to hold a dementia friendly performance with so many people and their families affected by the condition and the limitations it can place on their lives. As one of the best-known and most popular operas with a score which many will recognise, La bohème felt like the perfect work for us to offer in a dementia friendly format. We look forward to making it a special experience for everyone involved.”

Another listed event is a regular Dementia Disco for people living with dementia and their carers in Stockport. The Dementia Disco is a place to come and enjoy favourite music and maybe even have a dance. They encourage people to get involved with choosing the music to ensure all tastes are covered, from rock n roll to disco – there’s even a free Hot Pot available at the event!


Notes for Editors

Research on Dementia and Music

There are an estimated 850,000 people with dementia in the UK. By 2040, the number of people with the condition is expected to double.

The UK Government has set an objective for England to be a world leader in fighting dementia and has committed to improving diagnosis, care and support, and research (The Challenge of Dementia 2020). The NHS Long Term Plan, published in January 2019, also commits the NHS in England to continuing to improve the care provided to people with dementia and their carers.
There is a large and growing evidence base demonstrating that music has a wide range of benefits for people with dementia. Including but not exclusively:

* Minimising some of the behaviour and psychological symptoms of dementia: interventions have the potential to help minimise BPSD, including agitation, abnormal vocalisation and aggression.
* Tackling anxiety and depression: interventions could help to reduce anxiety and depression amongst people with dementia. The impact of music therapy on anxiety and depression could potentially be lasting.
*Retaining speech and language: interventions have the potential to improve the retention of speech and language for people with dementia.
*Enhancing quality of life: interventions can help to facilitate increased social interaction or ‘flow’, improve well-being, decrease stress hormones and enhance the quality of life of people with dementia. *Impact on caregivers: improvements in caregiving after music-related training are reported by care-givers, families, service providers and music therapists – engaging carers in music-based interventions can help them to better understand residents.
*Palliative and end of life care: music therapy in end of life care can help to minimise anxiety and discomfort.

About Music for Dementia 2020

Music for Dementia 2020 is a national campaign to help make music available for everyone living for dementia. We believe everyone living with dementia has the right to music as part of their dementia care. To make that a reality, we are working with stakeholders from across music, health, social care and dementia to make music a part of dementia care.

About The Utley Foundation

The Utley Foundation was founded in 2014 by Neil and Nicky Utley. The Foundation exists to advance social causes and to act as a catalyst for greater funding and wider action for the causes it supports. Music is a personal passion of the founders and trustees and underpins many of the key funding areas of interest to the foundation. The trust has other charitable objectives including Armed Forces Veterans, Children and Overseas Aid.

About The ILC-UK Report

The ILC-UK conducted a sector wide commission into music and dementia across the UK, funded by The Utley Foundation which led into Music for Dementia 2020 Campaign. It brought together the views of over 1,500 senior academics, politicians, researchers, practitioners and those affected by dementia. The findings of the report, launched at The House of Lords in 2018, strengthened the case for bringing music and dementia further into the public forum.

BBC Music Day

BBC Music Day

Jul 24, 2019 | News

We’re excited to announce that Music for Dementia 2020 is working collaboratively with BBC Music Day this year.

The fifth annual BBC Music Day takes place on 26 September 2019, themed around music and wellbeing and we’ll be working alongside over 50 UK dementia organisations, as well as people living with dementia, to share the message about the power music can have on people living with dementia, as well as their families and carers.

For more info on BBC Music Day click here www.bbc.co.uk/musicday

Music for Dementia welcomes NICE’s inclusion of music therapy in its updated standards

Music for Dementia welcomes NICE’s inclusion of music therapy in its updated standards

Jul 18, 2019 | News

Thursday 18 July 2019: London, UK. THE decision to include music therapy in NICE’s updated quality standards on dementia will pave the way for thousands of people to benefit from it.

The updated guidance emphasises the need for dementia care to place the individual at the centre of care decisions.

Practitioners are encouraged to offer activities such as music therapy, exercise, aromatherapy, art,gardening, baking, reminiscence therapy, mindfulness and animal assisted therapy “to help promote theirwellbeing”.

NICE also said GPs and other health and social care practitioners should have discussions with dementia patients and their families about their life experiences, preferences and circumstances to find out which activities they can choose from and are available locally.

NICE quality standards draw from NICE guidance and make recommendations describing high-quality care in priority areas to improve.

Lauren Laverne, presenter of BBC Radio 6 Music’s breakfast show and current presenter of the UK’s most-loved radio show*¹ BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs said: “I recently visited a care home and saw first-hand the effect music therapy had on people living with dementia – it is truly amazing. “Whether it’s playing an instrument or listening to the appropriate music – music is such a powerful tool and it’s great that it’s benefits are being recognised.

“We need to celebrate music, but most importantly utilise it where we know it helps. Music for Dementia2020 will continue to fight to make music free for everyone living with dementia.”

Grace Meadows, Programme Director at Music for Dementia 2020 and a senior music therapist at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, said: “This announcement is incredibly welcomed by Music forDementia and all those that we are working with. It presents us with a wonderful opportunity to further support people living with dementia who could benefit from music therapy, but don’t yet haveaccess to it as part of their dementia care.

“We have seen first-hand the benefits personalised music can have for people living with dementia – even those in the most advanced stages – and urge Clinical Commissioning Groups to act to ensurethat music therapy is offered as part of the care they provide for people living with dementia.”

Professor Gillian Leng, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Health and Social Care at NICE, said: “People with dementia can find it harder to take part in activities, to engage socially, to maintaintheir independence, to communicate effectively, to feel in control and to care for themselves. Providing enjoyable and health-enhancing activities like music or reminiscence therapy can help with this.

“Understanding the activities that a person prefers, and thinks are suitable and helpful, and adaptingthem to their strengths and needs, will make a person more likely to engage with the activities offeredand therefore more likely to benefit from them.”

The campaign is also backed by Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock who said: “As a society there’s so much more we can do to help people live well with dementia.

“Whether it’s joining a choir, gardening or enjoying art classes, so many activities can help people live better and can trigger precious memories and help reconnect them with their communities.

“So I wholeheartedly endorse this quality standard, which supports the ambitions of our NHS Long Term Plan and its move to a more personalised and person-centred care.”

Music for Dementia is a nationwide campaign backed by The Utley Foundation, a charity founded in 2014 by Neil and Nicky Utley. Neil Utley said: “Making music free for people living with dementia is the key ask for our campaign. The recommendation from NICE represents a major step forward and serves as further evidence that music needs to be embedded in dementia care. We welcome therecommendation.”

There are currently over 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK – supported by 700,000 informal carers who also require help.

The Music for Dementia campaign is seeking to build the UK’s first network for music and dementiaprogrammes, support carers and look at how to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia, by making music readily available and accessible for all.

Visit / for more information, to sign up to the Music for Dementia newsletter and to become part of the taskforce.

______________________________

*¹According to a 2019 poll by Radio Times

______________________________

Notes for Editors

About Music for Dementia

Music for Dementia was launched in January 2019, following research published last year by the International Longevity Centre (ILC-UK), the UK’s specialist think tank on the impact of longevity onsociety and The Utley Foundation. The campaign also seeks to work closely with other dementia groups and charities to act as an umbrella organisation for music and dementia. The Utley Foundation’s funding for Music for Dementia will act as a catalyst to create local and national projects, from understanding how to create the right environments in care settings, through to the use of radio, participation in music making, building playlists, listening to performances and music therapy – with the aim of using music to enhance care pathways. It will look to mobilise government and the entire music industry to become active participants in our 2020 vision.

About The Utley Foundation

The Utley Foundation was founded in 2014 by Neil and Nicky Utley. The Foundation exists to advance social causes and to act as a catalyst for greater funding and wider action for the causes it supports. Music is a personal passion of the founders and trustees and underpins many of the key funding areas of interest to the foundation. The trust has other charitable objectives including Armed Forces Veterans, Children and Overseas Aid.

BBC Radio 6 presenter Lauren Laverne appointed ambassador for Music for Dementia 2020 campaign

BBC Radio 6 presenter Lauren Laverne appointed ambassador for Music for Dementia 2020 campaign

May 2, 2019 | News

  • UK music and dementia campaign Music for Dementia 2020 announces partnership with broadcaster
  • New campaign aims to make music accessible to everyone in the UK living with dementia by 2020
  • It follows the publication of the ground-breaking ILC-UK report, in conjunction with The Utley Foundation, which highlighted how music can help improve quality of life for people living with dementia

BBC TV and radio presenter Lauren Laverne has been appointed as the ambassador for Music for Dementia 2020, a new campaign calling for music to be accessible to everyone living with dementia.

Lauren, who hosts Radio 6 Music’s flagship Breakfast Show, has joined forces with Music for Dementia 2020, to highlight the powerful impact music can have on people living with dementia.

The campaign, which is also backed by Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP aims to make music available to people living with dementia and their carers across the UK.

Lauren, who has carved out a career as one of the UK’s leading music broadcasters and is currently presenting the UK’s greatest radio show of all time* BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs while Kirsty Young is on leave, said the issue is close to her heart.

Lauren said: “I can’t imagine my life without music. We all instinctively know how important music is, and how beneficial it is for our wellbeing. It connects us to others, to our memories and boosts our mood.

“That’s why it’s a central part of every important human interaction – from socialising with friends to weddings, even funerals

“But because music is everywhere, we sometimes take it for granted, and that’s a huge mistake.

“There is now a vast amount of scientific research exploring the enormous benefits music has for cognitive, physical and mental health.

“Music’s connection to memory is something we intuitively understand and celebrate every day on radio shows like mine, but we are failing to use this powerful tool in the fight against dementia.

“Music should be made available to everyone living with the syndrome.”

Lauren will bring her experience and insight from the music industry to her role with Music for Dementia 2020 – an initiative created and funded by The Utley Foundation. She will help shape the campaign over the course of two years and increase awareness around how and why music can be used as an integral part of dementia care.

Music for Dementia 2020 is a nationwide campaign backed by The Utley Foundation, a charity founded in 2014 by Neil and Nicky Utley.

Neil Utley, Founder and Trustee of The Utley Foundation, said: “We’re thrilled to have Lauren Laverne on board as an ambassador, who brings vast experience from the music industry. I know that she will be hugely influential in helping to spread the message about the impact music can have on the quality of life for people living with dementia.

“People with dementia often live in a silent world. Yet music can be used to minimise their day to day anxiety. The ability to connect to music is an innate aspect of being human and there is substantial evidence to demonstrate that.”

The Music for Dementia 2020 campaign also has the backing of the Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock, and Baroness Sally Greengross, Chief Executive of the International Longevity Centre – UK, who led a sector-wide commission into music and dementia, funded by The Utley Foundation in 2018.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock, said:“Dementia can have a devastating impact on people’s lives but music has been scientifically proven to bring calm, reduce agitation and support those affected to cope better with symptoms.

“I back Music for Dementia 2020, which offers a great opportunity for people with dementia, their families and carers to access music and get good value, easy-to-use social prescription that I fully endorse.

“It will help us deliver more person-centred care, a key part of the NHS’ Long Term Plan.”

Baroness Sally Greengross, said: “Despite growing evidence of the value of music for people with dementia, we are not seeing enough being done to improve access to appropriate music-based activities.

“One of the key recommendations from the commission was to improve public awareness around the power of music. We hope that through this partnership, Lauren Laverne and Music for Dementia 2020 will shine a light on the value of music as an intervention.”

Grace Meadows, Programme Director at Music for Dementia 2020 and a senior music therapist at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, said: “A song has the power to instantly transport us to a different place and time, and can have the most profound effect on people living with dementia and their carers.

“We want everyone in the UK living with dementia to have access to the music that means most to them and for it to be accessible in the most appropriate and effective ways.

“For some, this will mean ensuring they have the right technology – allowing them to enjoy their favourite music wherever and whenever they want. For others, it means being able to attend music groups and participate in music-making. For some, it may mean working with music therapists.

“Music for those living with dementia isn’t a nicety, it’s a necessity.”

Music for Dementia 2020 is seeking to lead the field in music and dementia care, by creating a national taskforce of stakeholders who can effect change. This includes leaders from across the music, health, social and care sectors, MPs, and those living with dementia.

There are currently over 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK – supported by 700,000 informal carers who need support to keep caring for loved ones.

Dementia remains one of the leading causes of death in the UK, costing the economy £26bn – a figure set to more than double to £55m by 2040.

Recent statistics also revealed there are a further estimated 42,000 younger people (aged under 65) in the UK with dementia, which accounts for around five per cent of those with dementia.

The Music for Dementia 2020 campaign will seek to build the UK’s first network for music and dementia programmes, support carers and look at how to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia, by making music readily available and accessible for all.

People with dementia and their families are being asked to sign up via the website to join the Music for Dementia 2020 taskforce to shape and inform the campaign.

Music for Dementia 2020 will be hosting a summer reception where representatives from the music industry, clinicians, practitioners and politicians will hear the goals of the campaign and have the opportunity to share ideas.

Visit https://musicfordementia2020.com for more information, to sign up to the Music for Dementia 2020 newsletter and to become part of the taskforce.

________________________________________

Notes for Editors

*According to a 2019 poll by Radio Times

About Music for Dementia 2020 Music For Dementia 2020 was launched in January 2019, following research published last year by the International Longevity Centre (ILC-UK), the UK’s specialist think tank on the impact of longevity on society and The Utley Foundation. The campaign also seeks to work closely with other dementia groups and charities to act as an umbrella organisation for music and dementia. The Utley Foundation’s funding for Music for Dementia 2020 will act as a catalyst to create local and national projects, from understanding how to create the right environments in care settings, through to the use of radio, participation in music making, building playlists, listening to performances and music therapy – with the aim of using music to enhance care pathways. It will look to mobilise government and the entire music industry to change the way it thinks.

About The Utley Foundation The Utley Foundation was founded in 2014 by Neil and Nicky Utley. The Foundation exists to advance social causes and to act as a catalyst for greater funding and wider action for the causes it supports. Music is a personal passion of the founders and trustees and underpins many of the key funding areas of interest to the foundation. The trust has other charitable objectives including Armed Forces Veterans, Children and Overseas Aid.

About The ILC-UK study The ILC-UK conducted a sector wide commission into music and dementia across the UK, funded by The Utley Foundation. It brought together the views of over 1,500 senior academics, politicians, researchers, practitioners and those affected by dementia. The findings of the report, launched at The House of Lords in 2018, strengthened the case for bringing music and dementia further into the public forum. Music for Dementia 2020 was set up in response to this, taking the lead by creating a national taskforce made up of stakeholders from across the music and dementia fields to embed music into all dementia care pathways. The goal is simple – to make music available for everyone living with dementia by 2020.