About Us

What does Sunbeams do?

Annie Mawson’s Sunbeams Music Trust, (Sunbeams), is a Charity delivering Community Music Therapy to disabled children and adults across Cumbria in the North West of England. Sunbeams provides Music For Life® and Music For Dignity® Projects in outreach venues, at the bespoke Sunbeams Music Centre, (just outside of Penrith), and online.  The Charity aims to improve quality of life and self-esteem through the creative power of music.

Our team of specialist Community Musicians deliver sessions at the bespoke Sunbeams Music Centre; in Care Homes; Day Centres; SEND & Special Schools; Hospices; Out-of-School Clubs and other Community Venues.

Services are available to children and adults of all ages with a wide variety of needs including physical disabilities and mental health problems; Alzheimer’s and Dementia; cerebral palsy; Autistic Spectrum Disorder; Down’s Syndrome; sensory impairments; emotional and behavioural disturbance and profound multiple disabilities.

Sessions are based around live rather than pre-recorded music. Our musicians use a range of instruments and build sessions around singing and vocalisation; dance and movement and instrument playing often supported with sign language.

Most of our therapeutic services are provided free of charge to our beneficiaries, and are supported by grants and charitable donations. We believe in consistency and continuation, and prefer to maintain projects rather than offering ‘one off’ sessions as it is often only with time and dedication that real differences are made to people’s health and wellbeing.

Sunbeams also facilitates community concerts by internationally acclaimed artistes in rural and isolated areas throughout the year, further enhancing the quality of the Arts in Cumbria.

For more information on what services are available in your area, please contact our Project Manager, Liesl on 01768 892909 or Email: liesl@sunbeamsmusic.org

Our Programmes

Sunbeams Community Music Therapy Programmes aim to improve well-being and self-esteem through the creative power and freedom of Music.

SEND Children, families, adults with disabilities and learning needs

Sunbeams Music For Life® focuses on the overall learning and development of a person.
Sessions use Music as both a therapeutic and educational tool with activities conducive towards improving physical, emotional and mental well-being.
Songs are used as a fun and creative stimulus for response.

Benefits include:

  • Increased levels of engagement and participation
  • Awareness of others, sharing and turn-taking
  • Skills development through songs including numeracy and literacy development
  • Better relationships 
  • New pathways of communication where conventional methods prove challenging for the individual
  • Increased creativity
  • Increased self-expression and positive emotional development
  • Increased self-confidence and self-esteem
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Adults with Dementia and/or Alzheimer's and other deteriorating illness

Sunbeams Music for Dignity® Projects help tackle the onset of deteriorating health
conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

Music is used as a stimulus for memory recall and a tool for reminiscence.

Benefits include:

  • Reduced feelings of isolation
  • Communication through songs
  • Improved vocal intonation through song
  • Improved language and speech
  • Improved confidence, self-esteem and well-being
  • Improved listening and concentration abilities
  • Improved memory recall
  • Moments of reminiscence and connection
  • Fun and engagement with others

 

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Our Mission

Sunbeams aims to relieve sickness and assist in the treatment of children and adults who are suffering physically, emotionally, psychologically and mentally by the provision of music therapy and to provide introductory music therapy training to individuals working with such persons.

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