The Elfin Trust

The Elfin Trusts has been set up to :-

The Walled Garden, Thornham

We provide inspirational and creative music sessions at the Walled Garden for
young people with learning disabilities and special needs.
In particular we are working with young adults who have been victims of brain
trauma. We have found that music can enable expression, communication, a sense
of well being and joy.

It is our experience by encouraging music to be played by some of the most
inhibited young individuals a sense of confidence can be developed.
One participant calls out for 'music now' every time he arrives at the Walled Garden,
and another with the aid of a Soundbeam, can improvise easily to world music and
jazz. The recordings of the students are evidence of their comprehension of
musical form, harmony and structure. This is remarkable in young people who
otherwise have no means of language, perhaps limited gestures to communicate
and in some cases behavioural difficulties.

Some students have carers with them twenty four seven, but in the careful hands of
music practitioners become more easily manageable and complicit. In particular
we know one participant who is deemed difficult, but in the presence of gentle and
focused music sessions becomes passive, quiet and calm in his behaviour.
This work is all the more needed as the number of such participants increases.The
backdrop of the garden provides a perfect setting for creative thinking. It is a quiet
and generous space where nurturing the garden, as well as the participants is part
of the philosophy of teaching.

We are deeply grateful for the donation of musical instruments which enables us to
share our musical experience and to trust our young participants to learn. One
young man, who has received the gift of a student violin is able to play each week,
as well as in his care home. Another young man is writing songs about his time at
the Walled Garden and his capacity for understanding language has increased. By
creating lyrics using colours for example, our partially sighted individual has
increased his capacity to speak and describe his own personal experience of the
world around him.

We are asking for donations towards musical instruments as the need is greater
than we can currently supply.

If you would like us to visit your school or centre please contact us. We are
available to advise on the use of music in special needs units and have strategies
for developing learning for individuals in your centre.

 

PICTURES FROM THORNHAM WALLED GARDEN

Singing and laughing at the Walled Garden, Thornham
Learning to see with music

learning the violin!

We would be happy to hear from you. Do you have a resource unit? Do you have funding for Soundbeam sessions for your customers? Do you have a Soundbeam lurking away in a cupboard that you do not know how to use?

If you would like more information about availability, costs and workshops please email.

You can donate to the Trust. Please contact us if you are able to do so and would like to.

The cards which are on sale, a collection of beautiful photographs taken by Mike Rowland, are sold in aid of the Elfin Trust.