Since 2004, Concertina has been quietly playing away in the background, making grants to charitable bodies which provide musical entertainment and related activities for the elderly. This not only brightens up their lives, but also provides a therapeutic benefit to their health and well-being.

They are especially keen to support smaller organisations which might otherwise find it difficult to gain funding. Since it started, Concertina has made grants to a wide range of charities across England and Wales. These include funds to many care homes for the elderly to provide musical entertainment for their residents.

In the words of one care home manager: "This was one of the best entertainments we have had at Hillside. The artist kept the audience enthralled through the show, remembering the names of residents and including all the audience to such an extent that by the end of the show even the quietest of clients were singing their hearts out!"

Concertina is also holding a special fundraising event in April 2007 at the Royal Academy. It will be the inaugural concert of ‘The Concertina Young Musicians Concert’ and provides an outstanding young musician with a platform at a prestigious London venue.

It will be a fundraising event as well as a charity event, as Concertina intends to enable a certain number of elderly and infirm people to attend the concert by providing free tickets, a carer and transport.  A block of tickets will also be put aside for student musicians to attend free - thus bringing young and old together.

Currently Concertina still has money left in their budget this year to grant more funds and is inviting Mature Times readers to spread the word.

Any interested charities are invited to make an application to the Trustees via Simon Baynes at the address below. They will need to provide details of the charity's objects, its financial position, the sector of the elderly community which benefits, amount sought and proposed cultural activities or related facilities it intends to provide.

Visit www.concertinamusic.org.uk or contact the Trust's founder, Simon Baynes at Plas Onn, Llanfechain, Powys SY22 6XE. Or tel. 01691 648 032.