Therapy sessions will soon be bringing music to the ears of homeless.

The Cambridge Music Therapy Clinic at the United Kingdom-based Anglia Ruskin University has been awarded £6,300 by the city council's Kick Start Fund to run music sessions in conjunction with the Wintercomfort Day Centre.

The nine-month project will be launched in May and will work with single homeless. Each week a qualified music therapist will run music group workshops to help boost motivation and self confidence.

Helen Odell-Miller, deputy head of music and performing arts, says, "The project will be one of the first music therapy projects in the UK to specialize in working with homeless people.

"Research in Scandinavia and the US shows that music therapy can effectively meet social and psychological needs.

"It can make links between meaningful activity, work and personal goals. It is an important opportunity for the university to work with Wintercomfort and to see how future links can be explored on a city-wide basis with homeless people in the community."

A range of multi-ethnic instruments will be provided for the weekly sessions, and participants will be invited to bring their own.

It is hoped the sessions will help develop communication and social skills, and facilitate an insight into personal difficulties, as well as encourage participants to establish links with the community and help with the skills needed to re-engage with education or employment.

Mike Tristram, the director of Wintercomfort, says, "We are very excited to be able to provide such an innovative service."

Source: Cambridge Network