Project Bethlehem
Music Therapist Liz Coombes and ‘Assistant’, Hannah McCabe returned from delivering a successful follow-up visit earlier this spring to Local Partners at the SOS Village and School in Bethlehem. They spent a week observing staff run sessions, using music therapeutically with the children in their care. Liz and Hannah were able to support the staff directly by addressing any immediate challenges, as well as offering plenty of encouragement and praise. They were delighted that staff had noticed a considerable improvement in behaviour from those children who had received regular music sessions over the last 6 months. Hannah’s reiterates this in her report when she writes;
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“We were thrilled to see significant development with the children’s communication skills and a reduction in the level of aggression between the group members. This resulted in the children being able to value the contributions of other group members and to listen to instruction and to each other more effectively. Furthermore, certain children who had previously displayed difficulties in waiting for their turn and listening to others were now displaying a deeper understanding of group cooperation.”
To receive a copy of Hannah’s report please contact cleojordan@musicastherapy.org.
The follow-up visit marks the end of our formal partnership with Project Leaders, Canon Paul Miler and Music Therapist, Claire Tillotson. When they first approached us, in 2008, it was to help build on their initial investment for staff and children at the SOS Children’s Village and local school there. Together we shaped, recruited to and delivered an Introductory Music Therapy training project to equip local staff with the skills, resources and confidence to run beneficial music sessions for the children in their care. This was effectively delivered by Liz and Hannah in October 2009 (you can read their blog of the experience here). Having consolidated the initial training project with a further support visit for the Local Partners, and offered advice and ideas to support Paul and Claire with related aspects of their work in Bethlehem, we all felt our partnership had met its aims. Claire and Paul now have the confidence and skills to take their work in Bethlehem forward independently, in keeping with our firm belief in them as Project Leaders and our wish never to layer administration expenses onto activities where they are not needed.
Claire wrote; “You have all be invaluable to this project and I would like to thank you, Jane and Cleo for all your help and support over the past 18 months. We will keep you in touch with how the project is progressing and once again many thanks."
We are delighted that Claire and Liz have accepted the invitation to become members of our Advisory Panel, which contributes to the charity's strategy as well as helping to deliver our activities (click here for more information).
