Music for a Generation in Hertfordshire

Feedback from citizens through local fora in Hertfordshire, including a Governance International Co-Production Star event with 120 participants in 2013, commissioned by the Hertfordshire Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group, suggested that many citizens would like to get engaged in activities which reduce isolation and promote resilience.

Music for a Generation is an intergenerational scheme which aims at improving health and wellbeing for people of all ages. The essence of the project is to bring together different age groups and engage them through music.

The project is being underpinned by the Five Ways to Wellbeing Framework developed by the new economics foundation:

• Connect
• Keep Learning
• Be Active
• Take Notice
• Give

It is also supported by the Health and Wellbeing Strategy for Hertfordshire County Council which states as its overall aim: “With all partners working together we will reduce health inequalities and improve the health and wellbeing of our people in Hertfordshire”. Importantly, the strategy puts the focus both on health and wellbeing, with wellbeing being defined as “a contented state of being happy and healthy”. 

In 2003, Hertfordshire Music Service informal music team devised a reminiscence-based intergenerational song-writing model in partnership with Community Psychiatric Nurses from the NHS Foundation Partnership Trust who had identified that elderly people often had untapped, rich life experience that would be of interest and benefit to young people. In a pilot-funded by the Arts Council Roots Programme, primary school children from St Andrews primary school in Hitchin wrote raps based on the reminiscences of a 1st generation immigrant from the West Indies, and performed them at the Rhythms of the World Festival. Hertfordshire County Council ran the model for six primary and two secondary schools in 2008 concluding with a performance at the Castle Hall.

The learning from the model described above informed the development of the M4AG project. A key element of the M4AG project was not to have a set programme or agenda for the individual groups. The aim was to allow each group to evolve through engagement of those involved, allowing them to set the shape and the tone of the project, so that it was relevant to them. It was agreed therefore that Hertfordshire Music Service Workshop Leaders would be introduced informally at each centre and encouraged to explore meaningful ways of enjoying music together and finding practical musical activities that would be fun for all involved.

The project was not without challenges.

• Finding a suitable weekly time to host the project because many of the centres had a planned programme of events in place.
• Identifying young people to bring into the centres during the day conflicted with the school day.
• Bringing together people from different generations and with different interests and levels of need.
• Engaging individuals in the musical activities.
• HMS workshop leaders and centre managers were required to work with the open programme and be flexible, resourceful and responsive to need. This undoubtedly took time as relationships and understanding was developed.

Once the centres have been identified and selected, Workshop Leaders attended and ran short introductory sessions at each centre in December as part of the festive celebrations. This enabled a relaxed introduction and created a connection between the Workshop Leader and the club staff and members. The Workshop Leaders joined in the existing operations of the centres, helping serve lunch for example and starting informal conversations. In all centres the centre staff and volunteers’ willingness to involve themselves in musical activities had a significant impact on the active engagement of all.

Once the sessions began formally the Workshop Leaders led short musical activities to discover the members’ favourite songs and then used this to inform the material and activity for the groups. This naturally led to discussions about when they’d first heard the music and to reminiscence, which led to suggestions for new musical material. The repertoire of music was mostly chosen from the informal folk and commercial UK and USA music traditions. Much material was offered from the older participants, but contemporary popular songs and artists such as Adele for example were also suggested. Show songs, Opera and Arabic songs as well as self-written songs by both Workshop Leaders and young people also featured.

The project ran in four day centres across Hertfordshire, including

• older people aged 60-95 from Borehamwood Seniors in Borehamwood, with two students from Hertswood Academy;
• stroke survivors from the Daylight Club in Harpenden, with ten young Care Cadets;
• people with physical disabilities, mental issues or mild learning disabilities from Douglas Drive in Stevenage, with and four students from Barclay School; and
• at Parsonage Lane in Bishop Stortford young people with physical or learning disabilities aged between 18-25, with their parent carers.

Altogether, 115 individuals took part in the project, including volunteers and staff from the day centres. The willingness of the staff of the day centres to engage in the music proved a vital component to breaking down barriers and connecting the members of the groups and the Workshop Leaders.

Hertfordshire Adult & Family Learning Service continue to fund the work in the four day centres. The funding will allow for a further 30 hours in each club, which has been very well received by the centre managers.

Language, speech and motor skills improved for stoke survivors who participated. Many found tangible improvements with their ability to communicate through the regular use of song and rhythm. As a person attending the day centre told the centre’s manager: “It's helped me relax and get the words out.”

New connections and relationships were developed across the project. Music provided an excellent medium to enable participants of different ages, interests and cultures to come together. Young people would visit on their days off and have continued to visit beyond the pilot finishing. "It has really helped me break down barriers. I really know now that I like working with people who have learning and physical disability." 

The 10 Care Cadets that took part in the music sessions have all secured either full time employment or further education placements. The Care Cadets is a scheme which offers 16-17 year olds work placements in the social and health care sector. The objective is to provide them experience in these roles and the possibility, at the end of the placement, to apply for an apprenticeship place, further training or to enter care work as a full-time carer.

The Workshop Leaders suggested that people attending the day centres seemed to be able to understand better when words were spoken rhythmically. This is being explored further through a clinical assessment. One stroke survivor at risk of social exclusion, due to aphasia, was able to participate in the group via singing, and the Workshop Leader reported an improvement in his mood. A musical quiz was devised for the group and this aided connection and improved the group dynamics by encouraging participation and moving to different seating arrangements.

The pilot proved economically viable and therefore sustainable. Future funding has already been secured to continue the work in the pilot centres. 

Qualitative data was collected during and at the end of the project. This data was captured through informal discussions, filming of events and discussions and feedback from everyone connected to the project including service users, service managers, volunteers and workshop leaders. Briefing sessions were held at several points during the project as another way to capture comments about progress from staff involved.  Semi-structured interviews were held at the end of the project.

To provide some telling samples of quotes.

"[This project has] taught me how to enjoy myself more.”

Positive impacts were suggested for example “I know the M4G project had a very special impact on the Cadets and Members lives and friendships have been formed. I recall a conversation I had with one member of Daylight Club, I asked him what he had been up to since I last see him the week before, he said: ‘Wayne, nothing much really, this is the highlight of my week, coming to Daylight and singing along with you and your Space Cadets’.” (‘Space Cadets’ is a fun reference to the Care Cadets).

The project was funded initially by Hertfordshire Community Wellbeing Board and How to Thrive. Hertfordshire Adult & Family Learning Service identified the project, not long after it had begun, as something that they could fund and at that point became a joint funder. Officer time from the services referred to above, for developing and leading the project are not included in the costs as they were given ‘in kind’.

This can be broken down to an average of £267 per session. On average, 27 individuals participated in the project per session suggesting a cost of £9.80 per person. This seems like a really affordable and sustainable expenditure given the impact outcomes evidenced as part of this pilot.

The project has been highly successful on many levels. The expected outcomes have been realised and there has been added value with unexpected outcomes, particularly for the stroke survivors with their speech and language, and for the Care Cadets in securing full time employment.

Recommendations for future work

• Identify appropriate groups at the planning stage. Do not delay in recruiting appropriate young people to take part as their involvement is crucial and probably the hardest to establish.
• Identify appropriate activities that are suited to those involved. This project demonstrated that individuals benefit most when they are fully engaged and able to shape the activities, whether it is informal learning, leisure or music therapy.
• Careful planning to form clear outcomes. Specifically to ensure good understanding of the groups and activities before mixing with a different age group, this will maximise participation and support delivery of health and wellbeing outcomes
• Use qualitative and quantitative research to evaluate success. The Flourishing Scale (quantitative) was found to not be appropriate for all participants.
• Work in partnership to maximise the use of available expertise and skills, not just of the service users and volunteers but of the staff involved at the various centres, many of whom turned out to be imaginative at building the project into the everyday life of the centre, in a full spirit of co-production.
• Form partnerships to apply for funding through joint bids. Joint bids particularly from the range of partners involved in this project are viewed more favourably in many cases.
• There is a plethora of funding opportunities that would be suitable for intergenerational work that can demonstrate positive health and wellbeing outcomes, such as The Big Lottery or the European Social Fund for example. These funds often view partnership bids very favourably particularly those with low cost and high impact as was the case here.

The project team are working with a local charity to form a bid to national charity that will enable more centres to access this type of provision.

See the video, music, performances and project in action: http://www.hertsmusicservice.org.uk/mus4gen

Susan Carter and Lucy Bailey (2013):
Music for a Generation Project Report September 2013.

Five Ways to Wellbeing Framework from the New Economics Foundation:
http://www.neweconomics.org/projects/entry/five-ways-to-well-being

http://b.3cdn.net/nefoundation/8984c5089d5c2285ee_t4m6bhqq5.pdf

www.hertsdirect.org/your-council/hcc/partnerwork/hwb/5ways2well/