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Help Musicians (formerly Musicians Benevolent Fund), is a United Kingdom charity offering help for musicians throughout their careers.
It was created by Victor Beigel in 1921 as the Gervase Elwes Memorial Fund, [1] following the death of English tenor Gervase Elwes. It was renamed as the Musicians Benevolent Fund in 1926 and became a registered charity. Until his death in 1934, Edward Elgar was the fund's president. [1]
During World War II the fund was supported by proceeds from daily concerts in the National Gallery, London, organized by Myra Hess. [1]
Help Musicians launched Music Minds Matter in 2017, after work led by George Musgrave. This was the first 24/7 mental health helpline for musicians. [2]
When the UK went into lockdown in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Help Musicians launched its Coronavirus Hardship Fund to support musicians who were struggling financially due to loss of work. [3] After distributing the first round of one-off grants to musicians facing immediate difficulties, a second fund of £2.5m was exhausted in just five days in June 2020 due to the volume of applications. [4]
Help Musicians also undertook research into how the pandemic affected musicians' mental health, finding 87% of the 700 musicians surveyed reported their mental health had deteriorated, [5] and 24% going so far as to say they were considering leaving the profession for good due to the combined effect of the pandemic and Brexit. [6] In response to this mental health crisis, the charity announced an expansion of its Music Minds Matter service—whose flagship helpline had seen a 65% increase in calls—by setting up a national network of local support groups, and introducing targeted signposting to help musicians find the most relevant support and advice. [7]
It supports working musicians who are dealing with an illness, injury or accident. It gives financial grants to pay for medical treatment, specialist therapies and living costs and provides one-on-one help to those with life-changing situations. It also provides regular payments and social visits to retired musicians.
Help Musicians also supports emerging and graduate musicians. The programme offers funding awards to postgraduate musicians undertaking advanced training, and also helps with short-term treatment costs for music students experiencing health problems.
Amongst the awards they offer, they administer the Peter Whittingham Jazz Award (started in 1989), a £5,000 award for an emerging jazz musician or group to undertake a creative project of their choice, that will support their professional development.
An annual concert in support of the fund is given in London on or near St. Cecilia's Day. In 2014, the charity spent £3.3 million in support of more than 5,000 musicians. [1]
Victim Support is an independent charity in England and Wales that provides specialist practical and emotional support to victims and witnesses of crime.
Centrepoint is a charity in the United Kingdom which provides accommodation and support to homeless people aged 16–25. The Prince of Wales has been a patron of the organization since 2005; his first patronage. His mother Diana, Princess of Wales, was patron of the organization before she died.
Mind is a mental health charity in England and Wales. Founded in 1946 as the National Association for Mental Health (NAMH), it celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2016.
Gervase Henry Cary-Elwes, DL, better known as Gervase Elwes, was an English tenor of great distinction, who exercised a powerful influence over the development of English music from the early 1900s up until his death in 1921 due to a railroad accident in Boston at the height of his career.
988 is a telephone number used in some NANP countries for a suicide prevention helpline. It is known as 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the United States and as 988 Suicide Crisis Helpline in Canada.
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The Film and TV Charity, formerly the CTBF, is the leading UK charity for people who work in the film, cinema and television industries, whose careers cover all aspects of pre-production and beyond, from script to screen and in a variety of roles.
Billing Hall was a manor house in Billing, Northamptonshire, England. Records of the manor, the predecessor to Great Billing Hall, date back to the 12th century. It was originally owned by the Barry family and Baron Dundalk built it in 1629. It became the county seat of the Earls of Thomond, descendants of Brian Boru, King of Ireland in 1002. With the arrival of the Elwes family in 1779 the history of Great Billing became inextricably linked to them. Perhaps the Hall's most famous resident was Gervase Elwes, the English tenor, who died in a rail accident in Boston, USA in 1921.
Muslim Youth Helpline (MYH) is a national helpline, registered as a charity, providing free and confidential faith and culturally sensitive support services targeted at vulnerable young people in the United Kingdom. Although its target audiences are young Muslims, it does not propagate any religious or political beliefs, seeking only to provide relief to and improve the social condition of vulnerable young people.
GroceryAid is a registered (1095897) benevolent society for people from all over the United Kingdom who have worked, or are working in the grocery industry, and who find they need extra support to get by. Founded in 1857 the National Grocers Benevolent Fund has been trading under the GroceryAid name since October 2012. The charity over the years has combined with numerous charities, including the London Grocers & Tea Dealers Federation, the Grocers Federation Benevolent Fund and the Grocers Employees National Benevolent Fund. More recently the charity merged with The Confectioners Benevolent Fund in 2012. At this time, the charity ceased to trade under the Caravan name and in the autumn of 2012 became known as GroceryAid. There are seven regional Branches which help to raise funds for the charity across the UK. There are also two Network Awareness Groups in which industry colleagues focus on raising awareness of the charity.
The Mix is a digital charity based in the UK. Their primary goal is to address 'the embarrassing issues' and issues dear to the hearts of the young people who use its service - from exam stress to sex. The charity works with anyone under the age of 25 and offers support through a range of channels, including a free helpline and chat service, articles and peer-to-peer community chats. In addition, The Mix offers young people the opportunity to have a say in what the charity supports and advocates for, and provides volunteering and training opportunities.
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Samuel Thomas Fender is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He is known for his high tenor voice and Geordie accent, layered over music characterised by a roots-orientated rock approach. Recognised for his songwriting, Fender's sound relies primarily on his traditional American musical upbringing combined with a classic British rock sensibility.
One World: Together at Home is a benefit concert that was organized by Global Citizen of New York City and curated by singer Lady Gaga in support of the World Health Organization. The special was intended to promote the practice of social distancing while staying together during the COVID-19 pandemic.
MusiCares' COVID-19 relief effort was a charitable initiative aimed at providing financial and other forms of assistance to musicians and music industry professionals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative was established by MusiCares, a non-profit organization that was founded in 1989 by the Recording Academy, the organization behind the GRAMMY Awards.
The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted the international and domestic economies. Thus, many organizations, private individuals, religious institutions and governments have created different charitable drives, concerts and other events to lessen the economic impact felt.
George Musgrave FRSA is an academic studying the psychological experiences and working conditions of creative careers, with a current focus on mental health and wellbeing in the music industry. He is based at Goldsmiths, University of London and the University of Westminster.
Victor Beigel was an English pianist and singing teacher of Hungarian descent.
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Star-Crossed: Unveiled was the concert tour by American singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves in support of her fifth studio album, Star-Crossed (2021). It began on January 19, 2022, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, and took place across cities in North America, Europe and Japan. It concluded in Austin, Texas, United States, on October 16, comprising 27 shows. King Princess and MUNA served as opening acts during the first leg of the tour in North America.
