What we do
Music shines a light on what we can do, create, remember and learn.
Wishing Well was created in 2013 and became a registered charity in 2022. Partnerships and the voices of everyone we work with are at the heart of what we do. We’re proud to be part of the growing Creative Health movement and our approach is underpinned by the ever-growing evidence base that demonstrates the transformative impact of music on our wellbeing and mental health.
Our programmes create
Each year we deliver around 280 participatory music-making sessions in healthcare settings across Sussex and Surrey, reaching a total of 1500 young and older people in hospital and 750 family visitors.
We sing to premmie babies in incubators and support parents to sing their first lullabies, helping to normailise neonatal units and support attachment
We put instruments into the hands of children in hospital so that they can create and have fun. It’s a chance to do something that has nothing to do with what is “wrong” with them but has everything to do with being a child
We support young people facing real mental health challenges to write brand new music to help express how they’re feeling and to feel confident about who they are. We teach real skills that can be carried forward into training or careers.
Across our region, in hospitals and psychiatric wards for older people we hear countless life stories and musical memories. We create space for older people to sing and play themselves back to feelings of levity and motivation. We hold hands and dance wherever possible and see the huge impact of meaningful connection
Our training
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We deliver an established “Music and the Future Doctor” elective module for students at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. We guest lecture for the Masters in Paediatrics at Brighton University.
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Training for Healthcare staff, giving them an opportunity to understand the impact of music and to identify how they can use simple music making techniques in their everyday work
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Apprentice pathways for music facilitators wanting to bring their skills into healthcare. We are particularly interested in hearing from musicians who are under represented in the music for health sector.
Advocacy
We represent the Culture Health and Wellbeing Alliance (CHWA) as a southeast Arts Champion, providing support to the Creative Health secor in our region through advocacy, networking and resources.