Music Support, the charity that provides help and support to anyone who works in music and live events affected by mental ill-health and/or addiction, has announced a new partnership with The Christopher Meredith Foundation (CMF), enabling them to grow existing provisions and develop new programs which support music industry peers or loved ones.
The partnership includes funding which will contribute towards three key areas across three years: treatment for beneficiaries, including counselling, psychotherapy and residential addiction treatment; developing Music Support’s Safe Hub backstage area at festivals, where artists and crew can take time out or speak to Mental Health First Aid trained individuals (the charity had Safe Hubs this summer at Splendour festival in Nottingham and Boomtown festival in Winchester); and developing programs for families, friends or colleagues who are supporting people struggling with addiction.
Music Support was established in 2016 by music industry veterans with lived experience of mental ill-health and/or addiction as a personal and confidential support service provider that understood the specific needs and challenges that exist within the industry.
The charity’s new services for family and friends will be beginning in Autumn this year and rolling out over the next twelve months, including dedicated online resources, an online support workshop and befriending programs for family and friends.
The Christopher Meredith Foundation’s partnership with Music Support aims to make a long-lasting impact on the charity’s efforts, continuing to grow this essential area of support within the industry.
“We have dreamed of the opportunity to provide funding to our beneficiaries who would otherwise struggle to access addiction and co-occurring mental health treatment, an area currently publicly underfunded with stretched resources,” said George Levers, Music Support’s head of service development and delivery. “Thanks to The Christopher Meredith Foundation this dream has come true. Not only that, but we are incredibly excited that we can now extend our reach to the family and friends of those in need”.
Sadie Meredith, CMF trustee, commented: “We were hugely impressed with the culture and ethos which drives Eric, George and the whole team at Music Support. The addiction services they provide are life changing for their donors and we are delighted to be partnering with them to enable them to scale and widen their reach.”
You can find out more about Music Support here: https://www.musicsupport.org/family-and-friends
