News

Seashell Trust has combined music and swimming in a series of fully inclusive events for children with special needs and their families.

Families got the chance to meet others who have the same struggles with participation in sports and activity clubs. Parents could share experiences and support each other while their disabled children and their siblings made new friends.

We are the proud home to a gamelan, an Indonesian percussion orchestra. The vibrations of the gamelan are an excellent way for those with impaired vision and hearing to take part in music.

The collective nature of playing the gamelan in a group lends itself to people working inclusively regardless of musical experience.

The Common Pulse! project, led by Dr Rachel Swindells of Manchester Metropolitan University, is evaluating the positive effect regular gamelan sessions can have on children with complex needs.

One of the Youth Music-funded project’s aims is to widen community use of the gamelan. At the same time, we were looking to make effective use of our inclusive pool facilities.

Family liaison officer Caroline Fishbourne suggested a combined event for families with disabled children, many of which have difficulty finding activities that allow everyone to take part.

Sharon Tran attended with her husband, daughter Hayley and son Jake. She said: “It was a great session. It was truly inclusive, we loved the gamelan, and it was the first time in years that we had been able to swim together as a family.”

Louise Rottier, project support, said: “Parents and their children enjoyed taking part in a fully inclusive family swim session, then learning new musical skills in a gamelan workshop delivered by experience musicians, whose time was funded by a grant from music charity Youth Music.”

Around 120 people took part across nine different sessions over fourdays. A wide age range of able and disabled young people joined in the fun, with the youngest participant being just 12 months old.

Support provided was by parents and carers, and some our students joined in with support from care staff.

Graeme Darley, swimming development officer, said: “It was a pleasure to work together to deliver such a rewarding and enjoyable project, I hope to see more family events here in the future.”

The events were funded with help from a grant by the National Foundation for Youth Music. The trust is hoping to secure further funding to cover similar innovative and inclusive family events in the future.