Sandra Schembri, CEO of Nordoff and Robbins Music Therapy appointed new Chair of Power of Music Consortium - takes over from Tom Kiehl from UK Music

12 February 2025 - Press release

The Power of Music Consortium (for health and wellbeing) has appointed a new Chair, Sandra Schembri, CEO of Nordoff and Robbins Music Therapy. The Consortium has also shared its collective thanks to outgoing Chair Tom Kiehl, Chief Executive of UK Music for leading the group and UK Music's work to spotlight such an important cause.

UK Music has chaired the Consortium since its inception and played a key role in drafting the Power of Music Report in 2022, which spearheaded the Consortium's activity and achieved cross-party and sector support. UK Music will remain a member of Consortium alongside other members including the National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP), Manchester Camerata, Music for Dementia/The Utley Foundation and Music for All.

 Since 2022 the Power of Music Consortium has:

• Developed and launched the Power of Music Fund through the National Academy for Social Prescribing – a first of its kind supporting 203 organisations across the UK
• Launched its First Centre of Excellence in Music and Dementia hosted by Manchester Camerata
• A Second Centre of Excellence in for Training in Music and Dementia to be launched later this year
• Ensured that the power of music for our health and wellbeing was submitted as part of the consultation on the next 10-year health plan for England
• Deployed an online platform, “Music Can”, for the public to access music making services for people living with dementia.

Commenting on taking up the Chair, Sandra said:

• “What has been done already is incredible. To galvanise people to work together to create not only a first of its kind funding method with the power of music fund but also cementing further the impact music can have in the minds of those that hold influence over the health of our nation. So much thanks to UK Music and Tom specifically for chairing the consortium to the successes so far, and to The Utley Foundation for the seed funding the Power of Music Fund and in-kind support of the consortium itself.
• We will be working to redefine our focus and programme of activity in the coming year to see how we can ensure that music as healthcare of further integrated into our health and care systems. We will be engaging again with more news in the coming weeks and look forward to discussing what’s next with the consortium and all of those involved in the health of the UK.”

Tom Kiehl, Chief Executive of UK Music said: “It has been a huge honour to Chair the Power of Music Consortium over the past two years. I would like to offer my sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to its incredible work during this time, in particular my predecessor at UK Music Jamie Njoku-Goodwin who pioneered much of this important work. I would also like to wish Sandra Schembri the very best in her new role. Sandra’s experience and expertise will be an enormous asset to the Consortium and its life-changing work, which UK Music and I will continue to support.”

Sarah Metcalfe, Managing Director of The Utley Foundation and its Music for Dementia campaign said: "We co-authored the Power of Music Report with UK Music and are proud of how it has inspired people to come together to make music an integral part of health and social care. We are excited to remain part of the campaign under the new chair of Sandra Schembri from Nordoff and Robbins Music Therapy. Sandra is a force of nature, and we are looking forward to where she takes things in the next stage."