In Autumn 2022, Healthier with Nature, Wesport and South Gloucestershire council launched the Positive Activities funding programme for groups delivering nature-based interventions in South Gloucestershire. The West of England Music Therapy and Wellbeing Service were successful in securing a grant to pilot a new Sounds in Nature programme at Grimsbury Farm over 3 months. The wellbeing programme aimed to use and create sounds and music in an outdoor setting, held within a safe space, led by music therapists to support adults with a range of difficulties including low mental health, anxiety and learning difficulties. The groups spoke about creating music together and ‘letting go’ in the music. There was a freedom in that the group could play anything and create whatever they wanted on the instruments. Group members and support workers described this as both “fun but also safe”. The music allowed a freedom of expression and unlocked something for people they didn’t know they had within them.
“I find it quite relaxing; I’m quite an anxious person…it helps me calm down, it does help.”
“It’s fun, I just quite like messing around on the instruments.”
The programme built trust within the groups and creativity within the combined community of making sounds and music with others, which led to feelings of increased wellbeing, feeling safe and being inspired by and rejuvenated by nature.
The West of England Music Therapy and Wellbeing Service were keen to build on the success of the pilot which had clearly demonstrated there was a demand for this type of provision. They were looking for a venue to continue and develop the programme with the local community. Healthier with Nature introduced them to the team at Kingsmeadow@MadeForever, a community hub near to Grimsbury Farm, which has strong community links as well as outdoor space. The partnership evolved and secured further funding to co-design and deliver a year-long Sounds and Wellbeing in Nature programme at the Kingsmeadow@Madeforever community hub.