Boost for Parkinson's project mixing singing, speech therapy and bonding

Saturday 04 February 2023

A project combining singing, speech therapy and social bonding for islanders with Parkinson's disease has been made possible thanks to a donation of more than £5,000 to a local music charity.

The Jersey Community Foundation has donated a total of £5,340 of Channel Islands Lottery funding to local charity Aureole Music.

Each Friday afternoon at St. Andrew's Church, 20 islanders along with their respective carers meet to take part in a series of vocal warm-ups and speaking and singing games with the aim of reducing the effects of voice decline and limitations in movement.

As well as being an incurable, de-generative condition, which progressively affects the brain, the disease also causes vocal decline, which can be helped with speech therapy and rehabilitation work.

Meetings are led byAureole Music's Creative Director Nicki Kennedy and speech and language therapist Sarah Lock.

Pictured: A speech therapy meeting at St. Matthew's Church.

Ms Kennedy said: "Research has shown that mixing song, speech, and language therapy can help to rewire the brain and significantly improve outcomes for patients.

"This can be life changing for people with Parkinson’s disease, rebuilding confidence and helping to keep sufferers engaging in their communities. Having established the project in 2022, our work is already making a real difference to participant’s everyday lives.

"We are grateful to Jersey Community Foundation for awarding us with Channel Island Lottery funding which enables us to run this innovative project until 2025."

The weekly meetings give islanders with Parkinson's aged 50 to 90 the opportunity to meet and socialise with other islanders and share their experience of living with the disease.

Jersey Community Foundation CEO Anna Terry said: "One of the key aims of Jersey Community Foundation is to give funding to individuals, families, and charities in need in Jersey. Aureole Music’s application for funding made clear the neural and therapeutic benefits for islanders living with Parkinson’s disease.

"We are very pleased to support this unique and critical project and we wish Aureole Music and its participants all the very best.

"Our next round of Channel Island Lottery funding application deadline is 14 April 2023 and we encourage applications from all kinds of charities."