The Music Gym
What it is
As its name suggests, the Music Gym is a physical activity rather than a sensory room.
Music and images are triggered and controlled by movement. This is enhanced by our staff who help members and carers get the most out of every experience. The emphasis, however, is on the developing relationship between the member and their carer.
History
The Music Gym came from a “what if?” moment back in 2003.
- What if people whose behaviour is challenging were given lots of space to move around in?
- What if there were ways to make something happen which they’d really enjoy?
After two years of trying to raise the necessary finance, the local LDDF agreed this was a project worth funding and the idea took shape. The Music Gym was launched in October 2005 with just 15 members, who were as unsure of what to expect as we were!
Who runs it
The people you’ll see each week at the Music Gym are:
Tom Smurthwaite: Technical Director
Gary Mills: Office Manager
Julia and Michaela: Music Gym Assistants
Volunteers: Sue is our volunteer receptionist in the afternoon who came to us from Working Wonders at the Conquest Centre in Hastings. Over the years we’ve had a succession of volunteer facilitators who come to us for a variety of reasons: between jobs, wanting to get back into work after illness or having children, needing experience of the care sector. Sadly (well, sadly for us) they have all moved on to employment.
Why it’s good
We believe the Music Gym works because it allows space and time for people to make choices.
The independent evaluation of the Music Gym in its first year found that:
- 97% of questionnaires completed stated that their client had benefited overall from their participation in the Music Gym
- 88% stated that the client had developed over time
- 72% of clients had tried something that was new to them 55% of participants demonstrated sustained learning. These latter points are often not seen as potential achievements for people with such complex needs.
It was observed that carers who believed in their clients’ capacity to make their own choices, and saw their potential to develop, gave active encouragement. The members then clearly benefited. Since that evaluation we’ve encouraged the interaction between members and their staff.