Ruby's story

Content warning: mentions of attempted suicide.

Ruby is 17 years old. She loves her bass, playing in her band, dyeing her hair and getting piercings, like many other girls her age. But one in four of us will have mental health challenges and there was a time where Ruby’s mum, Bev, thought her daughter might never have a future.

In 2022, life became unbearable for Ruby, who is autistic, has ADHD, and lives with a complexity of mental health issues. At the age of only 14 years old, she spent five months on a psychiatric ward due to continued suicide attempts.

Music therapy helped to turn things around for Ruby – it saved her life, and it transformed her world. And your support will help more young people who are in mental health crisis, just like Ruby was, this Christmas.

Watch the video to hear Ruby and Bev tell their story. Then tap below to donate and help transform lives with music therapy.

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I dread to think what would’ve happened if Ruby hadn’t had music therapy. It saved her life. And it transformed her world. And without Nordoff and Robbins and without music therapy, I don’t even know if she’d be here.
Bev, Ruby’s mum

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How your donation makes a difference

£40

Help us buy the all-important musical instruments

Donating £40 today could buy the musical instruments that are essential for our music therapy work. Without a range of musical instruments for our clients to play, there can be no music therapy.

Donate £40

£80

Give someone in need the gift of music therapy this year

Donating £80 could fund a music therapy session. Show your support for young people in mental health crisis, like Ruby, and give the gift of music therapy this Christmas.

Donate £80

£120

Help train the music therapists we desperately need

Donating £120 today and your generous gift could go towards training the music therapists of tomorrow. There can be no music therapy without the incredible work they do.

Donate £120

How music therapy helped Ruby

When Ruby returned home from the psychiatric ward, everyone thought things would be better. But sadly Ruby spent more time back in hospital, and Bev grew desperate for something to help her daughter. Everything that had been put in place for Ruby wasn’t working.

And then by chance they discovered our music therapy work, and Ruby began sessions with music therapist Jered. This was life-changing for Ruby and her family.

Ruby’s first session with Jered was an outpouring of emotion. Since then, she has learned bass, drums, and is even in her own band – music has given her a whole purpose. Music therapy has given her the confidence to be herself through the music, and continues to do so long after a music therapy session.

How you can help

We know that there are thousands of young people who are in mental health crisis. Over 800,000 young people needed to access mental health support this year alone. And there are another 300,000 on the waiting list. Music therapy could benefit them all.

With over 60 years of practice and research, we know that music therapy will offer a way for young people like Ruby to work through their emotions in a safe space, and find ways to cope with the complex world around them. We know that we’re the ones who can help make a difference.

But we can’t do this alone. Our work with young people in mental health crisis alone costs £95,000. And each year, we have to raise this from £0. We simply can’t keep up with the ever increasing costs of delivering our transformative work.

Make a donation today and help us transform the lives of young people in mental health crisis.

Donate

Give the gift of music this Christmas – Carols

Give the gift of music this Christmas

Thank you so much for attending our Carol Service. We really appreciate your support and we hope you had a wonderfully festive evening.

Over 800,000 young people needed to access mental health support this year alone. And there are another 300,000 on the waiting list. Music therapy could help. That’s why this Christmas we’re asking you to donate to our urgent appeal, and give the gift of music to young people, like Ruby.