What Jessie's Fund does

Jessie's Fund is a UK-registered charity (number 1045731), founded in 1995 in York by musicians Lesley Schatzberger and Alan George in memory of their daughter Jessica May George. It delivers music therapy and creative music programmes to children and young people with serious illnesses, disabilities, or life-limiting conditions across the United Kingdom, primarily through children's hospices, hospital wards, and specialist schools. Core service lines include clinical music therapy in 40+ hospice and hospital partners, a Schools Programme reaching 300+ specialist schools (with projects at least 85% subsidised), individual family grant funding (typically covering blocks of around 10 therapy sessions), Early Years Music projects, and a subsidised two-day training course priced at £95 per participant.

The underlying "technology" is clinical music therapy practice: qualified therapists use sound, rhythm, improvisation, singing, and movement to respond to each child's mood and needs in the moment. Digital assets include a free online resource library of training videos, sensory music videos (20-30 minute follow-along sessions), and guides on instruments, percussion, rhythm, and composition for children with complex needs, distributed via the charity's website and YouTube channel (22,100+ views in 2024-2025). A network of approximately 25 professional musicians with SEND specialisation delivers services alongside a small staff team of 1-10 employees (Executive Director, Deputy Director Education, Administrator, Projects Assistant).

The revenue model is donation- and grant-funded: 84% of FY2024-2025 income (£336,549) came from voluntary donations, supplemented by fundraising activities (6%), charitable activities (7%), and investments (3%). Income is drawn from individual donors (one-off and recurring), over 28 named trusts and foundations, corporate partnerships (Charity of the Year, payroll giving, gifts in kind), legacy gifts, and modest training course fees. The charity spent £367,387 in the same period, with 92% directed to charitable work and 8% to fundraising.

Name

Jessie's Fund

Legal name

Jessie's Fund

Website

https://jessiesfund.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Jessie's Fund is a UK-registered charity, founded in 1995 and based in York, that delivers music therapy and creative music programmes to children with serious illnesses or disabilities through partnerships with hospices, hospitals, and specialist schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Therapy Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Therapy (Educational/Developmental Programs) (EDAMANAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF)

Keywords

• Music therapy services
• Children's hospice support
• Special needs music
• Arts health therapy
• Music education training

Headquarters

HQ city

York, England

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals. Suggested amounts include £25 for 30-minute session, £50 for one-hour session, £250 for a day of therapy in a hospice.
2. Fundraising Events: Community fundraising through events, sponsored challenges, concerts, and activities.
3. Trust and Foundation Grants: Funding from over 28 named trusts and foundations including Garfield Weston Foundation, John Horniman's Children's Trust, and others.
4. Legacy Gifts: Gifts in Wills including pecuniary legacies (fixed sums), specific legacies (instruments or property), and residuary legacies (share of estate).
5. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate support including Charity of the Year partnerships, gifts in kind, sponsorship of music therapy posts, training courses, and school residencies, and payroll giving programs.
6. Training Course Fees: Subsidized training courses at £95 per person for the two-day 'Making Music with Special Children' course including refreshments and lunch.
7. Grant Funding: Grant funding from charitable foundations such as Paul Hamlyn Foundation for specific programs like schools network and accreditation framework development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Jessie's Fund is a UK charity that funds and delivers music therapy and creative music projects for children and young people (up to age 25) with serious illnesses, disabilities or complex needs. It provides grants to individual families for blocks of music therapy sessions, funds music therapy posts embedded in 40+ children's hospices and hospital wards, runs long-term creative music projects in 300+ specialist schools, and delivers subsidised training courses and free online resources for professionals, parents and carers.

Product overview

Jessie's Fund is a UK-based children's charity offering a portfolio of music therapy and creative music services. The core offerings include individual music therapy grants for families, music therapy sessions in hospices and hospitals, a Schools Programme with professional musicians in specialist schools, and Early Years Music projects for young children. These are supported by training programs (Making Music with Special Children and Bespoke Training) and a free Resources Library including Training Videos and Sensory Music Videos. The organization operates as a service-based charity rather than a software product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Music Therapy Grants for Families Grant programme that fully or partially funds blocks of music therapy sessions (typically 10 sessions) for individual children and young people with complex needs, disabilities, or life-limiting medical conditions. Applications are made directly by families through the charity's website.
• Music Therapy in Hospices and Hospitals Music therapy services delivered in 40+ UK children's hospices and hospital wards by qualified music therapists, providing comfort, emotional expression and connection for seriously ill and disabled children and their families through sound, rhythm, improvisation, singing and movement.
• Schools Programme Long-term creative music projects bringing professional musicians into specialist schools (SEND/PMLD settings), including one-day taster workshops, five-day creative projects and year-long staff development programmes. Schools contribute £125 per day; projects are at least 85% subsidised.
• Early Years Music Music projects helping parents, carers and staff use music as a tool for bonding, play and self-expression with young children, delivered in collaboration with public-sector partners, schools and early years settings.
• Making Music with Special Children Training Course Two-day hands-on training course helping professionals, parents and carers use music to unlock communication and creativity for children with additional needs, covering instruments, rhythm, singing, iPads, one-to-one and group work approaches. Subsidised at £95 per participant, including refreshments and light lunch. Delivered at York CVS Priory Street Centre and LSO St Luke's, London.
• Bespoke Training Tailored training workshops for school staff, instrumental tutors and other professionals on topics including iPads, song-writing and musical conversations, designed to make music accessible for all learners. Delivered on request to schools and organisations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12,500+ music therapy sessions funded since 1995
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership where RNCM students undertake creative music placements at schools across Manchester region after attending Jessie’s Fund training. Students shadow musicians and gain SEND experience.
• Jessie's Fund Schools NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026New initiative bringing together schools that have completed long-term development projects, providing ongoing collaboration, peer support, and shared learning opportunities.
• Royal Hospital for Neuro-disabilitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024New partnership established in 2024-2025 as part of Jessie's Fund's expanding reach into neurological disability settings.
• Greenmead SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Specialist school for children with PMLD and complex health needs completed year-long staff development programme. School now part of developing Jessie’s Fund Schools Network.
• Martin House Children's HospiceflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995The first and longest-running partnership, established 30 years ago when Jessie's Fund helped Martin House purchase instruments and establish their music therapy programme. Recently supported with grant to develop music therapy provision.
• Children's Hospices and Hospital Wards (40+ locations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJessie's Fund works with over 40 children's hospices and hospital wards across the UK, funding music therapy posts and helping children and families experience comfort, release, and connection through music. The charity supports access to music therapy in these settings.
• York CVSminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorYork CVS Priory Street Centre hosts training courses for Jessie’s Fund in York.
• London Symphony Orchestra (LSO St Luke's)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLSO St Luke's venue hosts Jessie’s Fund training courses in London.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Helen & Douglas House: UK children's hospice caring for terminally ill children. Operates in the same hospice partner ecosystem as Jessie's Fund but provides broader clinical and family support services.
• Anna Freud Centre: UK children's mental health charity providing therapy, training, and research. Comparable as a specialist UK charity supporting children with complex needs, including a trustee of Jessie's Fund (Hannah George) who leads Deaf CAMHS.
• Together for Short Lives: UK charity for children with life-limiting conditions and the hospices that care for them. Broader scope than Jessie's Fund but operates in the same beneficiary population and partner hospice ecosystem.
• Noah's Ark Children's Hospice: UK children's hospice providing care for seriously ill children in North London. Comparable as a hospice partner that Jessie's Fund supports with music therapy posts, but delivers direct clinical care rather than music-specific services.
• Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity: UK charity providing specialist nurses, advocacy, and family support for seriously ill children. Operates in the same beneficiary population but provides clinical and social support rather than arts/music-specific services.
• Young Lives vs Cancer: UK charity supporting children and young people with cancer and their families. Comparable beneficiary focus (seriously ill children) but with a much broader remit across financial, social, and clinical support.

Others

• National Autistic Society: UK charity for autistic people and their families. Operates in a partially overlapping SEND/complex-needs space but as a much larger, broader disability advocacy and services organisation rather than a music-specific provider.

Direct peers

• Music as Therapy International: UK-registered charity that trains carers and professionals worldwide to use music therapeutically with children and adults. Comparable as a music therapy charity focused on building local capacity rather than direct clinical delivery.
• Chiltern Music Therapy: UK music therapy provider delivering clinical music therapy in schools, hospices, hospitals, and community settings. Directly comparable service model, beneficiary focus, and partnership-based delivery.
• Nordoff Robbins: UK's largest music therapy charity, providing clinical music therapy services and training. Directly comparable as a UK music therapy charity serving children and adults with complex needs through trained music therapists.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jessie-s-fund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 Jessie's Fund