Mar 23 2017: Help Lost Chord win £50,000 of National Lottery Funding in the People’s Projects

LEADING South Yorkshire dementia charity Lost Chord is in line for a major funding boost from the Big Lottery Fund’s People’s Projects campaign!

Lost Chord is the charity that provides vital interactive musical experiences for people living with dementia in care homes and day centres across the region and nationally.

And it could receive grant aid of up to £50,000 from the People’s Projects once the popular TV campaign goes live on March 20.

Lost Chord is one of five groups competing for £50,000 of National Lottery funding in the People’s Projects competition. Voting opens at 9am on Monday 20 March at www.thepeoplesprojects.org.uk.
The Big Lottery Fund, ITV and The National Lottery have teamed up to give the UK public the chance to decide how £3 million of National Lottery funding will make a difference in their local area.
The three projects with the most public votes will receive grants of up to £50,000 to help them develop their work even further to improve the lives of people in their communities.
The runners up could also receive a discretionary award of up to £5,000 each.

Lost Chord, which is based at the Wesley Centre in Rotherham and provides its interactive dementia friendly music sessions across South Yorkshire and in several major cities across England, is nominated in the ITV Yorkshire region.

On Wednesday March 22 Lost Chord will showcase their work on Calendar South ITV Evening Regional News at 6pm.

In the light of no known cure and little effective treatment, Lost Chord, if successful, hopes to reach out to more people with dementia therefore reducing the stigma and social isolation and helping more people to live well with dementia.

Helena Muller, Lost Chord’s Founder and Chief Executive said: “At a time where social care is in crisis people with dementia in residential homes and day centres need the support of Lost Chord more than ever.
“Our experience tells us that it is vital to keep the brain stimulated for as long as possible and clinical evidence shows that the power of live music has a significant impact on this.
“Please make a difference and show your support for one of the most forgotten and vulnerable groups in society by voting for Lost Chord.
“Simply to be on the Yorkshire shortlist for the People’s Projects is an incredible accolade and a great tribute to the many people who work so tirelessly to bring music into the lives of people living with dementia.

“Now we really do need all our supporters and friends to be ready to get online and vote for us because grant aid of £50,000 would make an enormous difference to the future of Lost Chord.

“Anybody who has seen the effect that our young professional musicians have on people with dementia at our many events across the region every month will know just how important music is in reaching out to somebody who may have lost all other means of communicating with even their closest loved ones.

“Please do give us your support and your vote and help us to continue with this essential work in your communities.”

Dawn Austwick, Big Lottery Fund Chief Executive, said: “We are proud to support 12,000 projects every year that use the knowledge and ideas of local people to strengthen communities. The People’s Projects is a chance for you to decide how National Lottery funding can benefit your local community, so make sure you have your say on who you think should win!”

The People’s Projects is an opportunity to celebrate some of the incredible projects the Big Lottery Fund has supported over the past year. With 95 shortlisted across the UK, the public can now decide which groups should win up to £50,000 develop their project further.

Voting closes at noon on Monday 3 April 2017. People can vote from Monday March 20 once per region and will need an email address to vote. To support Lost Chord please visit www.thepeoplesprojects.org.uk
Since 2005, around £36 million has been awarded through the Big Lottery Fund, National Lottery and ITV/STV partnership to 770 Good Causes across the UK.

To find out more about the work of Lost Chord visit www.lost-chord.org.uk