The AMBER Trust was set up especially to help blind or partially sighted children – including those with additional disabilities – to access and enjoy music. AMBER knows how important music is to these children: it is not only a source of great pleasure, it also encourages learning, boosts their confidence and helps them to share their thoughts and feelings with others. Through music, they make friends.

For them, music is not just a pastime –it’s a lifeline.

What AMBER provides
To enable blind or partially sighted children to access the music they enjoy and from which they can benefit so much, AMBER provides funding for music lessons, music therapy sessions, the purchase of musical instruments, software or other equipment, concert tickets and travel.

A helping hand
Finding a suitable teacher can take time, and you may need to be persistent. The RNIB provides advice and support. Try contacting the Music Advisory Service on 020 7288 1266 or look at the RNIB website.

Local music teachers often advertise in music shops, libraries and post-offices - and you could check these out. They may well be a member of a professional body, such as the Musicians' Union or the Incorporated Society of Musicians. Remember that it is important to always get references.

In the beginning
In 1995, Dr Adam Ockelford, together with a group of parents, friends and supporters, set up The AMBER Trust in order to raise funds to build the Soundscape Centre in partnership with the RNIB in Redhill, Surrey. This creative and vibrant space allows blind and partially students, aged 16 to 25, to fulfil their potential in music and the performing arts.

AMBER’s founder
Dr Adam Ockelford trained as a musician at the Royal Academy in the 1970s before developing an interest in music for children with special needs. Since then, Adam has devoted much of his life to teaching 'musical savants' - people with exceptional musical abilities despite their disabilities. Working with these young people has led him to research how music makes sense to everyone. He is now Director of Rushton School and Children’s Home at the RNIB and continues to support blind and partially sighted children and young people in music-making.