Raising funds for a truly remarkable music charity

Posted on: January 6, 2023

AS we enter a new year, it’s natural our attention turns to the year ahead and what we, as individuals and as businesses, hope to achieve over the next 12 months.

January is always an exciting month at Genesis Homes for many reasons and one of them is because we kickstart our year-long fundraising efforts for a local charity. This aspect of our company is important to us and underpins our social values and embeds in our colleagues the culture of belonging to a community.

Particularly this year, when belts are being tightened because of the cost of living crisis, local causes need more support than ever.

We’re delighted to announce the wonderful Annie Mawson’s Sunbeams Music Trust as our chosen charity for 2023 – a charity which is alive with sound, creativity and the most heartwarming generosity.

The charity, founded by Cumbrian harpist and singer Annie Mawson MBE, provides community music therapy to children and adults with a wide range of disabilities and complex medical needs.

Through its two programmes; Music for Life and Music for Dignity; the organisation uses the power and creative freedom of music as therapy and education tools, helping to improve users’ confidence levels and quality of life.

Our Managing Director Nicky Gordon, through his work with Jigsaw Children’s Hospice in 2019, personally saw how music and sensory environments are so important and helpful to those with disabilities to feel in tune with our world and have a fuller, happier life.

Annie is a true inspiration and we were fortunate enough to spend some time with her and the team not too long ago to see for ourselves the life changing charitable work they carry out and the positive impact it has on people of all ages with disabilities.

As a team, we are very excited to be raising as much money as we possibly can throughout 2023 to help the team continue this amazing work.

We have just rounded off another great year of fundraising in 2022, in aid of the lifesaving charity Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS), and we are so proud of all Genesis Homes team members who made such a positive impact for the cause.

There was a lot of fun had while raising awareness and money for such a worthwhile cause through events such as in-house bake offs, a 20-mile sponsored walk, an 80-mile bike relay and a charity golf day.

The highlight of the fundraising year was our Bohemian Ball at Carlisle Racecourse in November which was, in a word, stunning. Thanks to a show stopping display from Carlisle’s Explosive Productions, complete with singers, dancers and circus performers, all in attendance had a fantastic evening and a great amount of money was raised for GNAAS.

The year-long fundraising for Sunbeams will complement our normal charitable work which includes staff members donating bags full of food for our local food bank.

Any support you can offer to us and Annie Mawson’s Sunbeams Music Trust will be greatly appreciated.