BBT Communities, the newly formed division of the Borletti-Buitoni Trust, announces its first grants (each between £30,000 and £40,000) to a range of international charities that, through music, make a real difference to the lives of disadvantaged communities.
The beneficiaries are:
City of London Sinfonia Wellbeing Through Music programme that engages vulnerable and isolated people with music in hospitals, hospices, carehomes and psychiatric centres.
Music as Therapy International which trains caregivers around the world in music therapy skills to enhance the lives and development of marginalised people
SONG Onlus – Sistema Lombardia which promotes social integration and cultural inclusion for disadvantaged populations through ensemble music-making and singing.
Sanitansamble which targets at-risk children and young adults in the difficult and disadvantaged neighbourhoods of Sanità and Forcella in Naples.
MitMachMusik which encourages social inclusion and creative accomplishment for refugee children by way of regular music programmes with local children in Berlin and Potsdam.
BBT Founder Ilaria Borletti Buitoni commented: “All these organisations recognise the power of music to transform; to not only teach music skills that generate feelings of pride, accomplishment and respite from challenging daily lives, but also to engender the sense of inclusion, friendship, communication and self-respect that comes from engaging in music-making as a group.”
