A new grant from the Army Benevolent Fund for the charity Music in Hospitals & Care will bring the power of live music to veterans across Scotland.
Our donation of £5,000 towards the charity’s new project, Musical Moments, will enable Music in Hospitals & Care to provide a year-long programme of live music experiences for former soldiers across the country.
The charity’s mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of children and adults through the healing power of live music. Professional musicians share their talents and creativity with people across the UK who might not otherwise get to experience live music, for example, those in hospitals, care homes, hospices and community spaces. This includes people living with dementia and mental health problems, and those who are seriously ill.
![Man with beard smiling while playing guitar to two older men](https://armybenevolentfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MiHC-veterans-2.jpg)
With our support, Music in Hospitals & Care will now offer regular sessions of live music for veterans at The Coming Home Centre in Govan, Lothian Veterans’ Centre in Dalkeith, and The Linburn Centre for War-Blinded Veterans. Each of these sessions will be delivered by professional musicians with a wealth of experience sharing music with ex-service personnel. Each experience is unique and interactive – with musicians skilled in responding to the different cues, requests and interests of the groups and individuals attending a session.
Barbara Osborne, Chief Executive, Music in Hospitals & Care, said:
“The opportunity to experience live music in health and care settings is available to very few people, despite increasing evidence of its impact on health, wellbeing, and overall quality of life. We are so grateful for the Army Benevolent Fund’s support of this project. Thanks to you, members of the Army community across Scotland will experience the healing power of live music.”
Brigadier (Ret’d) Peter Monteith, Chief Operating Officer, Army Benevolent Fund, added:
“The Army Benevolent Fund’s enduring priority is the welfare of veterans, serving soldiers, and their families. We are pleased to award this grant to Music in Hospitals & Care whose project will improve the quality of life and wellbeing of Army veterans across Scotland.”
For more information, visit Music in Hospitals & Care (mihc.org.uk)