Off Beat - Beating Anxiety through Drumming
The Pitch
Problem statement
Off Beat is an 8-week drum course for people with anxiety. Run by professional counsellors and drum tutors it teaches professional techniques to manage anxiety symptoms whilst learning a creative, fun skill in a relaxed atmosphere. Private counselling costs upward from £60 per session and NHS waiting lists for anxiety education using CBT are often a minimum of 9 months. Drumming uses both sides of the brain and this is an important technique in calming the brain particularly following trauma. Students will learn professional counselling techniques used by the NHS without the need to pay for expensive private counselling and without having to join an ever-lengthening NHS waiting list.
Solution
The goal of the project is to provide free courses in the community for people who struggle with anxiety. A survey by Mental Health Charity Mind conducted in April 2021 reveals that more than one in three found support from NHS mental health services given over the phone or online difficult to use, and one in four say their mental health actually got worse as a result of using this support. Our goal is to provide face to face anxiety relieving techniques in a safe, relaxed and fun environment where people are learning a skill which in itself has been proved to relieve anxiety. The funding will be spent on hiring drum tutors & counsellors, venue hire, admin and marketing costs.
Why are we best placed to deliver?
Our team is made up of professional counsellors who are members of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy and professional drum tutors. My name is Amy and I am a psychodynamic counsellor who recognises through my client work the rise in anxiety and the lack of available, cost effective therapy. Since the pandemic, enquiries for counselling services have increased dramatically but not everyone can afford private help. The CBT techniques I use with private clients can be taught in group settings and the feedback we received via our pilot project showed 90% of students felt that they learned methods to manage their anxiety through participating in the pilot course
Focus Areas
Delivery plan
Budget breakdown
| Venue hire. 1.5 hours per week £45 x 8 weeks | £360 |
| Drum tutors. 1.5 hours x 8 weeks | £500 |
| Professional counsellor 1.5 hours x 8 weeks | £400 |
| Administrator £15 per hr x 36.6 hrs | £550 |
| Marketing materials - printing posters and flyers | £220 |
| Advertising - partner emails from relevant subscriber websites such as The Londonist | £750 |
| Social media. 2 hrs wk x £20 per hr | £220 |
Beneficiaries
30 people
Expected impact
Beneficiaries of our pilot project in week 1 were asked to write down what they hoped to get out of the course and why they had chosen to participate. They answered: 'new approaches in dealing with anxiety' 'learning drumming' 'go outside my comfort zone and do something different in a safe space' 'a non-threatening environment' 'ways of managing anxiety when triggered' Outputs - we had 8 people start our pilot program Outcomes - Here are some quotes from our students 'It was a wonderful experience. I had wanted to have a go at kit drumming for a long time but hadn’t found a “safe space” to try it in. OFF-BEAT provided just that as well as the opportunity to explore some of the sources of and coping mechanisms for the anxieties that I suffer from time to time' 'You created a very supportive and fun environment for people to express themselves and to understand themselves better.' 100% of students would recommend our course to someone with anxiety