Jessica, with her mum Vicky and music therapist Anouska.
It’s important for us to make as many memories as possible with Jessica because we don’t know how long we will have her for, and to be able to do that with music, thanks to Jessie’s Fund – it’s something I’ll treasure forever.’
There are many children like Jessica who are unable to communicate with words: Jessie’s Fund (named in memory of a different Jessica) exists to help children express themselves through music, which can have an immense impact on their quality of life. We were thrilled to be selected for a Â鶹ԼÅÄ Lifeline Appeal - with the help of our Patron and presenter, Maxine Peake, the appeal not only raised over £34,700, but also introduced us to a new audience.
In a year in which we, like many other charities, felt the impact of the pandemic, the money raised by the appeal helped us to reach children all over the UK. Whilst we were unable to go into special schools, we were busy creating interactive music-making videos, giving families and teachers the opportunity to spend quality time with children who have special needs, guided together through musical landscapes. One teacher told us ‘The children light up as soon as the intro song comes on’.
Jessie’s Fund has, over the years, established music therapy services in the majority of children’s hospices, and we were asked to help again when the hospices were so challenged by the pandemic. We were pleased to be able to offer support, and to hear what a difference this made. At one hospice, a mum said ‘It means so much to us and has really enriched Henry’s life – he loves music and the sessions. It’s been a really challenging year for us as a family, particularly at the beginning of the year when we almost lost Henry. Coming to the music sessions has really helped me cope.
You can find out more about Jessie's Fund on our .