Music Man joins forces with Ellesmere Port Salvation Army

An award winning national educational music service called The Music Man Project teamed up with The Salvation Army, Ellesmere Port Corps (church) to offer a taster day for young adults with learning disabilities last Saturday (17 March).

Seventeen people with a range of learning difficulties participated in the day, with their carers and support workers, and were taught various songs and encouraged to sing along together as a group, perform solos, play instruments and even get up and dance.

Lieutenant Louise Brown, Ellesmere Port Salvation Army church leader said:

“To see the confidence of every individual improve throughout the day was amazing. David and his team really brought out the best in everyone, showing that whatever your perceived disability, you are still able to share the joy of music.”

One participant said; “I have smiled today for the first time in ages and for all the right reasons!”

David Stanley, who runs the Music Man Project UK, said: 

“We were really excited to be invited by The Salvation Army to run a taster in Ellesmere Port. We’re keen for people with learning disabilities to be given the same opportunities as anyone else and it was great to see how engaged everyone was today.

“There’s some great talent here and it was wonderful to witness how proud they all were of their achievements.”

The Salvation Army at Ellesmere Port would like to run a regular group and are appealing for musicians who would be interested in working with people with learning difficulties to get in touch with Louise Brown on 0151 355 1400 or louise.brown@salvationarmy.org.uk.

Potential volunteers can also visit The Music Man Project UK to find out more about the origins and aims of the project.

The Salvation Army is committed to supporting young people with learning disabilities and providing the opportunities needed to improve employability. 

The church and charity is currently raising funds to create a training hub for young people with learning disabilities at its former children’s home, Strawberry Field in Woolton. To find out more and to donate, visit the project website.

The Music Man project is the UK’s first full-time music education service specifically for children and adults with learning disabilities. It currently operates in Essex, Kent, Suffolk, Sussex, Hampshire, London and South Africa and supports PhD research at the Royal College of Music.