Finding Rhythms

What Finding Rhythms does

Finding Rhythms is a UK registered charity (CIO No. 1151872), founded in 2012 with operational roots dating to 2005, that uses collaborative music-making as a psychosocial intervention for people at risk of offending. The organization delivers three core programmes — Prison Music Projects (collaborative album creation across 30+ UK prisons), Finding Rhythms Studio (a one-to-one programme for those leaving prison, formerly 'Making Waves'), and Community Music Projects (for young people at risk, care leavers, and people leaving prison) — with each programme structured around professionally led songwriting, recording, and release of original music. Participants can additionally pursue a King's Trust qualification in Personal Development and Employability Skills, supported by a Trailblazers mentoring partnership and an alumni programme offering live performance and industry engagement. Independent academic evaluations (University of Edge Hill, University of Sussex) and quantitative outcome data (94% felt more hopeful, 91% gained skills, 60% reduction in inpatient admissions for mental health participants) underpin the organization's evidence base.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded: services are provided free of charge to participants, with revenue derived from charitable trusts and foundations (Clothworkers', Garfield Weston, City Bridge, Lloyds Bank Foundation, National Lottery Community Fund), local government (Southwark Council), corporate partners (Landsec Futures, Dentons LLP), individual donors via the CAFDonate platform, and optional donations on Bandcamp music sales. Distribution is direct: professional musicians deliver in-person sessions within prisons, hospitals (Northwick Park Hospital), and community hubs, while the resulting music catalog of 100+ albums is distributed globally via Spotify and Bandcamp. The charity operates from London with an additional registered office in Horwich, Bolton, and is governed by a board of trustees chaired by Julie Dark, with Katie Weatherall as Executive Director since 2022.

The addressable market is structurally constrained to the UK public-sector and charitable commissioning landscape, but expansion is evident in adjacent verticals: NHS mental health (including a targeted programme for Black men experiencing mental health difficulties in Harrow) and forensic mental health (London Pathways Partnership). Founder Robin Harris transitioned to Founder Patron in 2024 after stepping down as Creative Director, and the organization is supported by patrons Baroness Lola Young, Baroness Floella Benjamin, and Sir Robin Millar.

Name

Finding Rhythms

Legal name

Finding Rhythms CIO

Website

https://finding-rhythms.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Finding Rhythms is a UK registered charity that uses collaborative music-making to support people at risk of offending, delivering prison, community, and post-release programmes across 30+ prisons and NHS mental health settings, funded by charitable trusts, foundations, and government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community music and rehabilitation services

NAICS

Sound Recording Studios (51224), Record Production and Distribution (51225), Musical Groups and Artists (71113)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAMANAK

Music Therapy (Educational/Developmental Programs)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Music Education (Instrumental & Vocal)

SECONDARYEDAMANAC

Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Music Education (Instrumental & Vocal)

SECONDARYMPAIALAD

Custom Music & Original Score/Composition

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Sync & Music Licensing Services (Film/TV/Ads/Games)

SECONDARYMPAIABAA

Songwriting & Composition (Topliners, Co-writers, Camps)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Music Publishing (Songwriting, Rights Administration, Licensing)

SECONDARYMPAIAHAC

Session Musicians & Vocalists

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Music Production Services (Studios, Producers, Session Musicians)

Keywords

• Music rehabilitation programs
• Prison arts charity
• Community music projects
• Arts in criminal justice
• Music-based interventions

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations: The organization accepts one-off contributions and standing orders from individual donors through CAFDonate platform. Donations support the delivery of music programs for people at risk of offending.
2. Grant Funding: Finding Rhythms receives grants from charitable foundations and government bodies including The Clothworkers' Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, National Lottery Community Fund, City Bridge Foundation, and various other trust and foundation supporters.
3. Music Sales: Music produced through programs is available for free download on Bandcamp, with optional donation contributions. All proceeds from music sales are exclusively used for programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Finding Rhythms designs and delivers professionally facilitated, creative music-making projects for people affected by the criminal justice system and mental ill-health, operating in prisons and community settings across the UK. Participants write, record and release original music with professional musicians and producers, supported through the charity's proprietary GTM motion Studio approach, with finished tracks published on Bandcamp. Programmes such as Trailblazers, London Pathways and the NHS Harrow Black men's mental health programme are offered free of charge to participants and funded through grants, donations and earned music income.

Product overview

Finding Rhythms is a registered charity (No. 1151872) that uses music as a catalyst to empower people to improve their lives. The organization delivers creative projects in prisons and community settings across the UK, supporting people at risk of offending to rebuild their confidence and gain skills. Its core programmes include Prison Music Projects (collaborative album creation in prisons), Finding Rhythms Studio/Making Waves (one-to-one music-making for those at risk of offending), and Community Music Projects. Participants work with professional musicians to write, record, and release original music, with opportunities to gain King's Trust qualifications. The organization has produced over 100 albums available on Bandcamp and Spotify. Supporting services include Trailblazers mentoring, an alumni programme, and music taster sessions. Finding Rhythms also partners with academic institutions for research and evaluation, including the University of Edge Hill and University of Sussex.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GTM motion Studio GTM motion Studio is Finding Rhythms' flagship custodial music-making programme, delivered inside UK prisons (including HMP Brixton, HMP Wandsworth and HMP Pentonville). Professional musicians and producers facilitate prisoners in writing and recording original music, which is then released publicly. The programme is positioned as a rehabilitation and reoffending-reduction intervention and is offered free of charge to participants, with delivery funded through grants and institutional partnerships.
• Trailblazers Trailblazers is Finding Rhythms' early-intervention creative music programme for 13-17 year-olds identified as being at risk of offending. Delivered in community and youth settings, it uses the same professionally facilitated music-making model as the prison work to engage young people who may be at the cusp of the criminal justice system. The programme is free to participants and funded through grants including from the Youth Endowment Fund.
• London Pathways London Pathways is a six-month community music programme delivered by Finding Rhythms in London. It works with participants on a longer engagement cycle than single-session delivery, using the same professionally facilitated creative music-making model to support sustained involvement. The programme is free to participants and funded through grants and donations.
• Black Men's Mental Health Programme (NHS Harrow) Finding Rhythms' Black men's mental health programme is a music-based intervention commissioned by NHS Harrow for Black men with mental health difficulties. It adapts the charity's professionally facilitated music-making model to a clinical commissioning context, offering culturally specific creative engagement as a complement to mainstream mental health provision. The programme is delivered free to participants, with NHS Harrow acting as the institutional commissioner.
• Change Grow Live recovery partnership A recovery-focused music partnership delivered by Finding Rhythms in collaboration with Change Grow Live, using the charity's professionally facilitated music-making model to support people in addiction recovery. The partnership extends Finding Rhythms' model beyond prisons and mental health into substance misuse recovery, and is offered free to participants.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of participants felt more hopeful about their future after participating
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and key.

• London Pathways PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025London Pathways Partnership delivers specialist forensic mental health services to people leaving prison. Finding Rhythms delivers creative music programs at their London Bridge and Euston hubs, supporting 10 participants across 12 sessions.
• Change Grow LivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Health and social care charity delivering services in prisons and community settings. Three music projects were delivered in partnership with CGL at HMP Bristol and HMP Portland, engaging 23 participants.
• NHS Mental Health Services - HarrowcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023NHS mental health services in Harrow, North West London partnered with Finding Rhythms to deliver music projects for Black men experiencing mental health difficulties. Three projects between 2023-2024 engaged 27 participants.
• The King's TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinding Rhythms programs support participants in gaining King's Trust qualifications in Personal Development and Employability Skills. This partnership provides accredited credentials that enhance participants' employability and personal development.
• TrailblazerssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrailblazers provides tailored mentoring to support participants into employment. This complements Finding Rhythms' music programs with career guidance and job readiness support.
• University of Edge HillsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr Dean Wilkinson and research team at Edge Hill University conducted independent evaluation of the Making Waves programme, finding it served as a deterrent to criminal activity and supported rehabilitation.
• University of SussexsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearchers from University of Sussex published peer-reviewed study 'Finding rhythms made me find my rhythm in prison' evaluating Finding Rhythms' work in UK prisons.
• Koestler ArtssupportingOthersKoestler Arts runs the Koestler Awards for arts by people in custody. Finding Rhythms has won over 100 Koestler Awards for tracks created within prison settings.
• Youth MusicsupportingOthersNational foundation providing funding and support for youth music. Youth Music has recognized Finding Rhythms' work supporting young people facing significant barriers.
• Baroness Lola YoungkeyOthersPatron of Finding Rhythms since 2026. Former actor, professor of Cultural Studies, and independent Crossbench member of House of Lords. Champion of social justice and access to culture.
• Baroness Floella Benjamin, OBEsupportingOthersPatron of Finding Rhythms. Broadcaster, actress, singer, and active worker for welfare, care and education of children.
• Sir Robin Millar, CBEsupportingOthersPatron of Finding Rhythms. Internationally renowned music producer who produced Sade's 'Diamond Life' and has won major music industry awards.
• Robin HarriskeyOthersFounder Patron of Finding Rhythms. Jazz musician and founder who began delivering creative music projects at HMP Wormwood Scrubs in 2005, laying foundations for the organization established in 2012.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Youth Music: National UK charity funding music-making opportunities for children and young people, particularly those facing barriers. Functions as both a funder (Finding Rhythms receives Youth Music support) and a broader incumbent shaping the youth-music sector landscape in which Finding Rhythms operates.

Emerging players

• Tomorrow's Warriors: UK music education and artist development organisation focused on Black musicians and underrepresented talent. Overlaps with Finding Rhythms' NHS partnership work with Black men experiencing mental health difficulties, addressing similar demographic and outcome-oriented priorities.

Direct peers

• Live Music Now: National UK charity that sends professional musicians into healthcare, care, and community settings to deliver live music programmes. Highly comparable in deploying professional musicians to engage marginalised beneficiaries, with similar outreach, evaluation, and impact-reporting practices.
• Sound Connections: London-based charity supporting young people's music-making and development, including those facing barriers to engagement. Comparable in targeting at-risk youth (NEET, care leavers) and in producing outcome-focused creative music programmes in the same London footprint.
• Serious Trust: London-based music education and engagement charity producing participatory music programmes with professional musicians for diverse communities. Operates in overlapping London geographies with similar underserved beneficiary focus and professional musician deployment model.
• Britten Pears Arts: UK arts charity delivering creative music and learning programmes for communities, including people facing barriers to engagement. Catherine Bullough (Finding Rhythms' Programme Manager) previously worked here, indicating strong overlap in approach, beneficiary focus, and use of professional musicians as facilitators.
• Irene Taylor Trust (Music in Prisons & Detention): UK charity delivering music-making projects in prisons and detention settings, with a closely overlapping beneficiary population (people in custody and at risk of offending) and direct delivery model. The most direct comparable in terms of mission, programme structure, and prison-sector partnerships.
• Sing Inside: UK charity running choral music workshops in prisons with a comparable beneficiary population and direct delivery model. Less album-production focused but operates in the same prison-music-intervention niche and competes for similar funder pools.

Others

• Koestler Arts: UK charity administering the Koestler Awards for arts by people in the criminal justice system. Finding Rhythms has won over 100 Koestler Awards, making Koestler Arts an awarding body and ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, but the relationship shapes the prison-arts field.

Regional players

• London Music Fund: London-specific music funding body supporting young musicians and music education programmes across the capital. Comparable London footprint and beneficiary focus; Finding Rhythms has received Amplify London partnership support, and both organisations target underserved young people in London.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/findingrhythms
• Facebookfacebook.com/findingrhythms
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/finding-rhythms
• Instagraminstagram.com/findingrhythms

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Finding Rhythms