SiFly health and education

Children’s Ward Doncaster Royal Infirmary

The core of our work is about improving health using music. We were asked to return to the children’s ward to support young people and their families who are in difficult and challenging situations.

As a parent who has had to deal with having a couple of children in hospital over the years I have an understanding of how distressing it can be.

Music can help with reducing anxiety when operations and procedures are on the horizon.

Music making can play a key part in building friendships and can help cure the boredom of being stuck in hospital.

Music can in some cases aid in pain reduction by up to 40%, although a degree of knowledge and experience is needed to be successful.

The video above is of staff members experiencing a taste of what the kids had done, it is so fulfilling to see smiles on faces.

Thanks to Jill Edwards for inviting us back and we are looking forward to seeing you again on the 6th of December.

SiFly health and education

The ME-Project

A quick selfie!!

I have always been reluctant to share the awesome!!! work of The ME – Project. I have been working with them over the past couple of years with their Artfully Adapting programme.

It is a targeted programme which practically highlights artistic activities to support specific areas of young people’s lives. I always commend the participants for just turning up. The difficult part of the work for us, is sharing with the public just how much fun it is, while respecting confidentiality of the attendees.

When parents say to their kids “hey go down and try it” it must fill them with dread as they don’t know what they are walking into. I think everyone who joins is pleasantly surprised. The facilities are awesome and I always look forward to returning for a chocolate cookie, they always get the really nice ones.

Kat, Paige and the team are like a family. I think what has made it work so well is that they do it like us, they carry the deep knowledge and experience, which they keep inside like a book on a shelf, while being more focused in the moment of having fun and engaging.

So far every participant has enjoyed it, we have had a lot of fun, and at one point last night we had a 5 minute laughing fit with tears rolling down cheeks as I looked back and shared one of my stories from my school days.

The latest 6 week programme to support 12 to 16 year olds may still have a place left as I write this, check below for details.

SiFly health and education

Highfields Boxing Club & Bentley Myplace

Awesome to welcome the birth of a new group in Highfields this evening. At this time of year its important to offer safe activities for young people, so thanks again to the Well Doncaster team at DMBC for their continued support.

We are proud to welcome our latest volunteer, Emily from Doncaster University Health and Social care. Providing opportunities for young people to develop through leadership is an important part of our ethos.

It’s not always easy to make the connection between health and music. The health benefits of social development around music can be life changing. We add the value of being experienced industry professionals with a strong awareness of current healthcare practices, which we are proud to pass on to the next generation.

We have also been back at Bentley Myplace where we have been finding out about young people’s aspirations and sharing our thoughts on how using music technology equipment could support essential skills for their future.

We will be back on Wednesday Highfields from 4.45pm and Bentley from 7pm

Join us this week

SiFly health and education

Edlington Eco – Bullcroft Memorial Hall – Myplace Bentley

Another busy week with focus on collaboration and inclusion.

After a chance meeting with Sam Siddall MBE, who was awarded her honour for community work, we were Invited to Edlington and were given a warm welcome by Lynn and the team.

We enjoyed an energetic jamming session with a wide age range as mum’s enthusiastically supported their children. It is a always a pleasure to work with children who have additional needs, especially in mixed groups as it adds value to all who attend on a social development level. Great to see lots of smiles and we look forward to seeing you all again.

Myplace Bentley was a little different this week as we decided to write a song based on the positive messages which are artistically written all over the youth hub walls. This presented a couple of challenges which were overcome with some creative collaboration. As always the timing of introducing challenges is crucial to build confidence and develop essential skills. Once again it was the girls who took the lead and proved that music technology is not a male only environment.

Carcroft this week was all about communication and Jamming. We had an increase in numbers due to a bit of canvassing outside the local school. We also welcomed attendees from across town who whole heartedly contributed.

Thanks again to Well Doncaster and Director of Public Health, Rupert Suckling who we met with this week. We look forward to sharing some more detail of our recent success stories.

Bentley Myplace from 6.00pm Wednesdays

Carcroft Bullcroft Memorial Hall from 4.00pm Thursdays.

SiFly Uncategorized

Highfields Boxing Club

Exploring what we have around us and visualising what may come in the future, recognising family, pets and pastimes as inspiration and support.

We put pen to paper to creatively explore rhythms and the building blocks of Music. The group responded well to more use of the technology this week.

Sometimes my role in 90minutemusic stems from the youth work which started the journey 9 years ago. Back then some of the kids just needed another adult around as a role model, and sometimes to remind them what is good in their lives. I think we did a little of this tonight.

Thanks again to Liz for the venue, the Parents for travelling from outlying villages, and of course the young people themselves, fantastically creative!!!

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Tom Hill Youth Hub

We delivered at Tom Hill Youth Hub last night and it was a pleasure to see the young people engaging and taking part together. We shared an incredibly enthusiastic electro-acoustic jam, and as always a good mix of girls and boys getting involved. New skills being learnt, and confidence gained, most notably though the social aspect last night, good communication and respect throughout.

I would like to thank all the young people for joining us at Tom Hill for the last few weeks, plenty of courage and creativity, I would also like to thank the staff for their hard work and professionalism. Look forward to working with you again.