Unified’s Post

This article really moved me as I love to hear and watch a brass band. If you can help by donating or booking them for a kick here is the link in the comments section.

There are other amazing organisations operating in the accessible music sphere. So what sets OmniMusic apart? We are among the few organisations in England that both deliver AMT (Accessible Music Technology) programmes and develop the required cutting-edge music technology. This puts us in a great position to develop exactly the tech that is needed by our users. We can place participants squarely at the centre of all that we do. For example, when we run workshops, if we find out from our participants or practitioners that users would like a certain acoustic instrument to be adapted, we can work with our creative technologists to make that happen. We can hack the technology already being used by our participants, such as their wheelchairs, allowing them to make music in a way that is most accessible to them. To donate to our amazing work, visit our JustGiving page here: https://lnkd.in/eCPVrzX2 #accessibletech #musiccharity #musiccharityuk #assistivetech

It's a time for giving..." as Mr. Richard says himself. It can be easy to get consumed in the parties, food comas, and mountains of wrapping paper over the coming weeks and forget that not everyone has the same experience come December 25th. In the spirit of spreading kindness and making a positive impact, we wanted to share some ideas for meaningful ways you can give back this holiday season: 🔴 Donate to a local charity: As you prepare for Christmas, it can be an excellent time to clear out all the things you don't use that still have plenty of life left in them. Consider contributing to a local charity shop, where your items can find new homes with those who may need them at an affordable price. 🔴 Volunteer your time: Sometimes, the most valuable gift is your time. Look for local volunteer opportunities, perhaps in soup kitchens, handing out food packages to local families, or just spending time with those who haven't got anyone else to spend Christmas day with. 🔴 Support small businesses: When you choose to shop locally and support small businesses, you're supporting small families over high street giants. 🔴 Create care packages: Put together care packages with essential items and festive treats and distribute them to individuals experiencing homelessness or families facing financial challenges. Your thoughtful gesture can bring warmth and joy to those who need it the most. 🔴 Organise a toy drive: Collaborate with friends, colleagues, or community members to organise a toy drive for children in need. Bring smiles to little faces during the holiday season. Hospitals and foster care homes are an excellent place to start. If you ask ahead of time, you can choose meaningful gifts. The spirit of giving extends beyond materialism. Small acts of kindness, compassion, and generosity can have a ripple effect, creating a brighter and more joyful holiday season for everyone. #community #christmasspirit #giveback https://lnkd.in/ezRNdnXs

ICYMI: How does music play a role in building self-confidence and fostering collective creativity when moving schools? 💭 In this blog, our Regional Producer, Sooree Pillay, shares more on how our Horizons project supports the primary to secondary transition in #MusicEducation. Read the full post here: https://lnkd.in/e5BJ32QZ

It strikes me that it shouldn't take four months to complete due diligence for payments relating to a chamber orchestra based in London. If we're supposed to operate a risk-based approach, you'd have to wonder how long a human rights charity would wait for its due diligence to be considered up to par. If possible, all of these organisations should have back up bank accounts to prevent this sort of harm— but that's bloody hard because so many banks won't allow charities to onboard at all. I reckon a return to the basics of 'think like a criminal' would help us a lot in formulating true risk-based approaches. #financialcrime #antimoneylaundering #derisking #aml #fincrime https://lnkd.in/eS6EsShV

In 2021, Lytton, an entire town in my home province of British Columbia burned to char and cinders as a result of climate impacts. Like Lahaina, gone. I love Maui with all my heart, have friends there and have been there - and Lahaina - many times. And because I truly love Maui, I know not to travel there now or soon. (Just as I didn’t during COVID when Hawaiians pleaded with people to stay away.) Resources in Maui right now must be dedicated to helping displaced families and people. Tourists, despite the fact that businesses are offering, say $10 donations per $$$$$ room to non-Hawaiian-based fundraisers or taking tours out into waters still lined with belongings, now is not the time to travel there. And businesses, there are infinitely better ways to demonstrate support. Take a beat, and ASK 👏🏼 THE 👏🏼LOCALS👏🏼 on whose lands you operate how you can best help them. And you know how you can donate $10? By donating $10 to any of these causes linked here. You can help by staying away, and, like all good visitors should - respecting local wishes. Right now, Maui does not want you. And that is their right.

There are a couple of new blog posts on our site. I invite you to see what we have recently done in Burundi and Pakistan! https://lnkd.in/gw8e6iMD #musicians, #support #nonprofit

Often when an event relies on government or philanthropic funding it's "sustainability" is questioned. More often than not, this questioning comes from an underlying assumption that events should be profitable, or at worst break even prospects that don't rely on public funding. This argument mirrors an argument that was made for years in relation to performing arts facilites. Once they were built, the assumption was that they'd easily be handed over to operators to turn a profit into the sunset. We've long since learned that simply is never the case. Any performing arts centres that deliver for their communities are heavily subsidised by local and/or state government, generally to the tune of $1m+. Today's announcement of Mona Foma ceasing after 16 years is a stark reminder that if we want to enjoy the many and varied benefits of events, we'll have to pay for them, not only by buying tickets, but by being comforable with the fact that they'll likely need heavy subsidising, whether by government or philanthrophy. #events #majorevents #economicimpact #socialimpact https://lnkd.in/eXjCD92N

Roll up, roll up!

It's great to see companies and nonprofits collecting and sharing stories of the people who make an impact on their mission. Here's an example of how you can turn a story into a landing page for recruiting, fundraising, or generating free trials for GoodSeeker! 😁