News and events

Concert remembering Rachel

Rachel Claire Scholey, an alumnus of Sheffield Music Academy, was a student music therapist who was tragically killed in a car accident before Christmas. Music Academy alumni, staff and students came together on Friday 27th April to present a concert celebrating her life, and chose to invite donations to Jessie’s...

Read More >

What’s GDPR?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a piece of EU legislation which becomes enforceable in all EU countries from May 25, 2018. It’s designed to make it simpler for people to control how organisations use their personal details. As part of the new regulation, all organisations which hold data on people...

Read More >

Gaining insight

For the past two years we’ve kicked off the New Year with a training day for our team of specialist musicians: some 20 or so people, with a huge amount of combined experience of helping children with additional needs to make music, came together for sharing and learning. This year...

Read More >

Family music-making

Last year we started working with families at Hob Moor Oaks School and Children’s Service, in York. The sessions were for the parents, carers and children who are enrolled at the school and known to the Portage Service. Portage is a home visiting educational service for pre-school children with special...

Read More >

Might we help you?

We are currently accepting applications from organisations seeking grants for music therapy or interactive music projects with children who have additional needs or serious illness. Guidelines and application forms can be found here. Applications will need to be with us no later than 8 June for consideration at our summer...

Read More >

Victoria Wood, our late Patron

For 17 years, until her untimely death, Victoria Wood was our Patron. Jessie’s Fund was a small, infant charity when we asked whether she would join us. Now we have a great new Patron, Maxine Peake, but Victoria will always stay in important part of the Jessie’s Fund story. Here,...

Read More >

Something old, something new

We did it! We’re back from our 2017 sponsored bike ride, having cycled over 300 miles in England, Belgium and The Netherlands. We had a great team of 19, some of whom were old friends and others, new, but everyone felt like old friends after the first half day. We had a...

Read More >

The Listening Project

The Listening Project is BBC Radio 4’s collection of intimate conversations between friends and relatives, recorded in partnership with local BBC radio stations, and stored in full at the British Library, as a social history record of our lives today. Jessie’s mum and sister recorded a conversation about Jessie’s last...

Read More >

Community Coffee Shop support

A big thank you to North Curry Community Coffee Shop for sending a donation of £170. This brings their total contributions to Jessie’s Fund to over £1500. The Coffee Shop is a community project run by volunteers. They lease part of a restored farm stable near the centre of North...

Read More >

Finding the right instrument

Ipad music apps

C is a little boy of about 7 who is severely affected by cerebral palsy. Jessie’s Fund has been working in his school for a day every fortnight this term, not only working with the children themselves, but also helping the music coordinator to increase her skills. C can’t communicate...

Read More >