National Lottery funding hits the right note for community Music Group helping to combat loneliness and isolation

This ‘Blue Monday’ (17 January) The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, is shining a light on the dedicated community groups in the East of England that are helping to combat loneliness and social isolation throughout the year.

Over the last five years, more than £48.5m of National Lottery funding has gone to charities and community groups working to build social connections and address loneliness across the East of England.

Many have worked tirelessly to keep their community connected during the pandemic. They offer opportunities for people to meet others, engage in new activities, learn new skills and help out by volunteering – with the added benefit of reducing loneliness in the community.

Their great work has a positive impact on people’s lives – research⁽¹⁾ shows that 97% of National Lottery-funded grant holders report a reduction of loneliness and improvements in their participants’ mental health, self-esteem and social contact.

At the same time, The National Lottery Community Fund’s latest Community Research Index⁽²⁾ shows that when presented with a list of priorities, 52% of people in the East of England say that reducing loneliness and isolation is fundamental to improving their local community in 2022.

One such project is Bedfordshire-based Outreach Music Group (OMG), which supports vulnerable adults and young people struggling with mental health issues and feelings of isolation, as well as those facing long-term unemployment, through creative music, media and poetry workshops and performances.

The community group has been awarded £10,000 by The National Lottery Community Fund to add additional music tuition sessions as well as expand further into areas such as creative writing, drama therapy and mental health discussion groups.

The funding will also be used to deliver peer-led virtual discussion groups and face-to-face social activities to encourage people from different backgrounds to come together and talk openly about mental health as a way of tackling the stigmas that can often be associated with it.

Mark Stephenson, founder of Outreach Music Group, said: “This funding from The National Lottery Community Fund will play a massive role in what we are able to provide to our local community. With this extra support, we are able to continue working under our ethos of ‘Creative Empowerment Through the Medium of Music and Arts’ and deliver specialised groups to those experiencing chronic and long-term mental health issues, alongside some of our long-term unemployed members.”

As COVID-19 restrictions continue to relax, the group also has plans to add additional music courses at its studio in the old Bedford United Trade Union Club building as a way of bringing more people together. These currently include music production, DJ skills, instrument tuition, vocal training, song writing and music industry training.

Spencer Smith, an OMG attendee since 2018, is just one of the many young people who have benefitted from the group’s music and creative writing sessions. He said: “OMG has helped me in numerous ways, even just communicating with other like-minded individuals, either online or face to face. This has helped me come out of myself, while the music side of OMG has helped me to express myself in a way that I haven’t been able to previously. Likewise, the creative writing classes have urged me to look within myself and have given me the tools to put my innermost feelings on paper, which in itself has been very therapeutic.”

Helen Bushell, Senior Head of Regional Funding for London, South East and East of England at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “Many people across the country have experienced a greater sense of loneliness and isolation as a result of the pandemic. Thanks to National Lottery players, we are able to support thousands of fantastic local projects like Outreach Music Group that are working hard to bring people together and have a positive impact on lives. Their ideas, knowledge and passion are helping people to find new interests, make new friends and feel supported - enabling them and the wider community to better prosper and thrive.”

According to the latest Community Research Index, almost half (48%) of people in the East of England say that activities that bring people together will be important for their community in the year ahead. With 2022 set to be a year of national celebration and pride (#Celebrate2022), including the Queen’s Jubilee and the Commonwealth Games taking place in the UK, there should be a wealth of opportunities for communities to come together across the region, which The National Lottery Community Fund is committed to supporting.

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes funding on behalf of National Lottery players who raise more than £30 million each week for good causes throughout the UK. During the pandemic, in 2020 alone, The National Lottery Community Fund distributed almost £1 billion to charities and community organisations across the UK.

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk