Outreach
The Oak Tree Approach
Our outreach follows the oak tree metaphor that has guided us from the start: deep roots first, drawing strength from the communities around us, so that future branches can grow in many nurturing directions.
Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our supporters who helped us surpass our crowdfunding target in 2025, our oak tree’s root system is establishing well.
The Roots Take Hold
These roots are reaching deep into the soil of community partnerships, drawing nutrients from shared wisdom and collective care. Our strands are beginning to strengthen:
We won a bid from the Aurora Trust, and in 2027 we will be creating a bespoke woodland residential for young urban musicians, partnering with Big Noise, giving them the opportunity to co-create with the natural world.
We partnered with Exeter University in 2026 to explore the impact of our immersive nature connection experience on chronic pain. Some exciting results in the academic paper are due out this Autumn. From our learnings, we are creating a dedicated Gentle Night for those who need to take things slower.
In January 2026, our comprehensive Bursary Programme launched, offering tickets at sliding scales from reduced price to completely free for those who need them most. Our community is enriched when everyone can gather beneath the canopy. The Bursary Programme for 2027 will launch in January 2027.
This is just the beginning. Our sapling oak is young, its roots still spreading, seeking connection and nourishment. In 2027, we will be developing other ways for supporters to enable this work, helping ensure that the impact of Singing with Nightingales becomes accessible to all who need it.
Bursary Programme
Our Bursary Programme offers discounted and free places to people who cannot afford the full ticket price. We particularly welcome applications from young people, local residents, Black, Indigenous and People of Colour, musicians, and environmentalists – though anyone experiencing financial hardship can apply.
How We HAVE Started
"I had just submitted my PhD thesis and recovered from cancer treatment, so was bone tired... It helped to restore a little confidence in my body... The songs, stories, and magical nightingale helped to tend the hearth fire and remind me that the world is just full of magic.”
2025 Programme Participant
Thanks to the generous support of the SHM Foundation and through our own investment, in 2025 we provided 49 free access tickets for the event for our local community alongside an additional 173 tickets at concessionary rates (ranging from 100% to 50% reduction).
Who We Reached
Local nurses and healthcare workers
Students and emerging artists
Environmental leaders
Community project leaders
Women with a cancer diagnosis
Parents of children with disabilities
Refugees and migrants
Creative arts practitioners
Offering tickets was simply the first root extending. A way for local partners to step into the experience and reflect with us on what serves and what still needs tending. We're now in conversation with local organisations and accessibility experts, gathering their wisdom and shaping our next steps together. We can’t wait to share the next rings of growth from our oak.
If you are interested in working together, please complete our interest form.