The Christopher Meredith Foundation (CMF) focuses on supporting both underprivileged musicians and anyone within the music industry facing mental health difficulties
Tonic Rider is a programme run by the UK charity, Tonic Music for Mental Health, providing peer support groups, training courses, psychotherapy / counselling and other bespoke resources for the music industry.
The funding will go directly towards expanding their work with artists, crew and other working professionals within the music industry.
Many people working in the music industry experience mental health issues, brought on by the pressures of the highs and the lows, touring, recording, isolation, late nights, long hours and the overall lifestyle. The industry can be volatile and competitive, with no financial security, which can leave individuals feeling vulnerable to developing mental health issues. The CMF and Tonic Music for Mental Health believe there is a need to highlight how challenging it can be within this otherwise beautiful, creative and diverse environment, and together can widen their reach to help more people in need of support.
Run by Tonic Music for Mental Health, Tonic Rider addresses these issues by providing a growing programme of music industry specific training and support, with the aim of promoting good mental health in the music industry.
Tonic Rider provides a variety of options including Peer Support Groups, Mental Health First Aid and Suicide First Aid Lite; bespoke mental health zines and booklets; and backstage support at festivals and gigs across the UK.
The enthusiasm, vision and commitment Steph, Jeordie and the team at Tonic demonstrates is inspirational.
Their drive to deliver quality, and vital, training and support made them the ideal partner for the CMF.
We are very excited to be working with them.
Demand for our support is growing since the Tonic Rider programme was launched nearly 3 years ago. The Christopher Meredith Foundation's partnership will enable us to scale up our Tonic Rider programme to provide essential support and training to musicians and people working within the music industry.
We are excited to have the opportunity to expand our programme into new areas where we can reach more people on a wider scale.
Thank you to everyone at the CMF for the generous support and opportunity.
You can download a PDF of this Press Release here.