Help a child like Poppy shine this Christmas – London Carols
This Christmas, thousands of children across the UK are waiting for something most of us take for granted: the chance to communicate, connect, and be heard.
Children and young people across the UK are facing a multitude of challenges. Over 300,000 children are living with rare diseases. Over 800,000 young people needed access to mental health support this year alone, with another 300,000 on the waiting list. There are around 350,000 children with a learning disability, with most likely many more undiagnosed. One in 100 children have an autism diagnosis.
When these statistics become reality for your family, the world can feel overwhelming and lonely. The days are long, and that light at the end of the tunnel people talk about feels a long way away. Waiting lists for a diagnosis are long, support can be years away and you feel like there’s nowhere to turn.
But music therapy can change that. It can give moments of pure connection as a family, a way for a child to communicate and express emotion, somewhere to simply be, without barriers.
Every child deserves the chance to shine. And with your help, we can make that happen through music therapy.
Poppy’s story
Three-year-old Poppy reached all those precious milestones parents treasure. Her first babbles, those wobbly crawls, her tentative first steps. Until just after her first birthday, when everything stopped.
After twelve difficult months of medical tests and hospital visits, Poppy was finally diagnosed with Rett syndrome – a rare genetic disorder affecting around 1 in 10,000 girls born each year.
For Poppy, it affects her mobility, energy levels, hand function, and ability to communicate. No one knows how her condition will progress, which creates huge uncertainty for her family.
Searching for ways to help her daughter, Poppy’s mum Rhiannon discovered music therapy and Poppy began having sessions with Nordoff and Robbins music therapist, Janet.
Each music therapy session is adapted to Poppy’s needs, giving her space to express herself and engage with the world in a joyful and playful way. She uses her hands to explore a range of instruments which are tailored to her needs. As Rhiannon puts it: “music is completely accessible to Poppy in a way that so many things are not.”
And your support this Christmas will help more children like Poppy to shine through music therapy. Tap below to donate and help transform lives.
Rhiannon Neale Photography
That afternoon we watched our daughter thrive in a new situation for the very first time. We heard sounds from her we had never heard before. A focus we had never seen. A curiosity and an excitement we thought Poppy might never experience. A light had been switched on… she was responding to us in ways we didn’t think were possible.
Rhiannon, Poppy’s mum
Rhiannon Neale Photography
Make a donation to support more children like Poppy
How your donation makes a difference
£10
Help us buy the all-important musical instruments
Donating £10 today could help fund 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.
£20
Help fund online community choir sessions
Donating £20 today could help fund an online community choir session, which supports around 40 people each week.
£40
Help fund a music therapy session
Donate £40 today and your generous gift could help go towards funding a music therapy session for a child like Poppy. When people who are isolated meet our expert music therapists, the music they make and improvise together can create astonishing moments of connection.
Whatever you’re able to donate this Christmas, you’ll be helping us to reach the children and families who are waiting for the connection and hope that music therapy brings.
How music therapy helps Poppy and her family
From her very first music therapy session, something magical happened. Through the rhythms, sounds, and act of playing an instrument with a music therapist, Poppy responded in ways her family had never seen before. It helped her make sense of the world and communicate her feelings.
The benefits of music therapy have been significant not only for Poppy, but also for her family. It’s helped strengthen Poppy’s relationship with her older sister Charlotte, who had previously struggled to bond with her. Through the music therapy sessions, they found a way to connect, play, and enjoy spending time together. For Poppy’s mum Rhiannon, music therapy sessions have given her confidence in using musical activities and communication aids to support Poppy’s development.
Rhiannon Neale Photography
How you can help
We know that there are thousands of children and young people across the UK who are facing a multitude of challenges. Music therapy could benefit them all.
With over 60 years of practice and research, we know that music therapy will offer a way for children like Poppy to connect. We know that we’re the ones who can help make a difference.
But we can’t do this alone. Our work with children alone costs £2.13 million. 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 reach the thousands of people across the UK, as well as children like Poppy, who desperately need our support.
Rhiannon Neale Photography