Community Cash Fund: Sing and Breathe Academy

Sounds Better, formerly known as Music for Wellbeing, runs music sessions for adults with long term conditions, such as lung conditions and dementia, and adults with a learning disability.  

The Sing and Breathe Academy was a pilot project, working across two schools in the Salisbury area, with children and their families taking part. The project was delivered in partnership with a local Parish Nurse.

Activities included relaxation, breathing exercises, rhythm and pitch games, singing songs, lyric creation and general vocalisation. Craft and stories were also used to underpin learning objectives, and aspects of asthma education; for example, balloon modelling of the lungs, a craft model of a typical airway and an airway experiencing an asthma flare-up.

Stories were used to illustrate aspects of asthma education, such as inhaler technique and recognising an asthma attack, while comic strips were created to document experiences of a healthcare appointment. 

Parents described the sessions as 'fun' and 'informative' and enjoyed the variety of  activities. They also valued the opportunity to discuss health-related issues with the Parish Nurse. 

Many noted how their children had improved their breathing and inhaler techniques, as well as the project having an impact on their own breathing, as many of the parents also lived with asthma. 

Liv McClennan, Co-Director of Sounds Better CIC, said: 

“Sounds Better used Healthwatch Wiltshire funding to expand our singing for lung health work to children with asthma. The project helped us create new musical repertoire suitable for supporting breathing, and improved asthma management understanding. It will lay the foundations of the next stage of development. Thank you to Healthwatch Wiltshire for the opportunity."

Find out more about the project in this report from Sounds Better.