The Amber Trust is the only UK-wide music charity dedicated to supporting visually impaired children, enabling them to access music in a way they never thought possible.

Workshops, funded by Vision Foundation, are designed to explore new avenues of engagement and communication for blind and partially sighted children with additional complex needs. Many of the children who attend the workshops may never have engaged with music before and many weren’t aware that these musical opportunities were available to them.

“Some of the students in the workshops were highly engaged and responsive to music from the beginning, however, others needed more time,” said Amber Music Practitioner Hannah, who leads the sessions. “For example, Aliyah would sit with her head down on a table and Emily could not stay in the music room in the first year due to her sensitivity to sound. Sienna was simply passive, not engaging at all in the activity going on around her. Three years later and the changes are astounding. Aliyah listens with a huge beaming smile, especially when her name is sung to her. Emily joins in every session and Sienna now uses sound to express herself. Although these changes may sound small, for these children this progress is significant and makes a real difference to their lives. Not only do the workshops have a remarkable impact on the blind and partially sighted children taking part, but also on those who work with them.”

To ensure Vision Foundation can support our wonderful funded partners, like The Amber Trust, please consider making a donation here