The Soldiers’ Charity has recently awarded Make Some Noise a grant of £15,000 to enable them to extend their Upbeat Families sessions at Beacon Barracks.
Make Some Noise is the official charity of Global, the media and entertainment group, and aims to engage children, young people and their families through a variety of programmes and initiatives across the UK. Since 2001, it has seen more than 45,000 individuals attend workshops or activity sessions through its strategic and participatory programmes, primarily in Staffordshire and Stoke, but also regionally and nationally.
Their Upbeat Families programme, currently running at Beacon Barracks in Stafford, provides high-quality music tuition and education for children aged between 0-5 years old. With the high number of Nepalese families living on-site at Beacon Barracks, the Upbeat Families sessions have been invaluable in two ways:
- Supporting the language development of the young children in a fun setting.
- Assisting their integration with other children and families in the resident community.
Our grant towards the scheme will ensure the continued provision of this programme and allow more opportunities for families to explore the benefits of music in movement and language education.
Tim Sharp, CEO of Make Some Noise says: “Since working with Forces families, we’ve been overwhelmed by the support we’ve received. Families are demanding more sessions, Nepalese families in particular. We know deployment can be such an unsettling experience, taking its toll psychologically on the children and the parents. We are thrilled to be awarded funding from The Soldiers’ Charity, as it will allow us to run our inclusive music and movement activities. The families are already looking forward to singing songs, dancing with our team and learning nursery rhymes, which will ensure the children and their parents’ wellbeing during tough times.”