Sunbeams Community Music Therapy
Founded by Cumbrian born Harpist and Singer, Annie Mawson MBE in 1992, Sunbeams provides Community Music Therapy to children and adults with a wide range of disabilities and complex medical needs including physical disabilities and severe mental health problems, sensory impairments, emotional and behavioural disturbance and profound multiple disabilities.
The Charity provides two Sunbeams Programmes: Sunbeams Music For Life® and Music For Dignity®. The Programmes are tailored to use Music for therapeutic and educational benefit and aim to improve quality of life through the power and creative freedom of Music. Our Delivery Team are trained Professional Musicians with specific therapeutic training in our Programmes. We deliver to groups here at the bespoke Sunbeams Music Centre, just outside of Penrith, in Outreach Venues across Cumbria and online using Zoom.
Our Programmes promote inclusivity and equality regardless of age, health conditions, disability…At Sunbeams, we focus on the ABILITY and not the disability.
By tackling the serious challenges raised by social exclusion, deprivation, ill-health and inequality, Sunbeams is ‘reaching the unreachables’.





Fundraising Concerts & Events: Up next…
A Special Classical Music Concert
with rising stars Violinist Elizaveta Saul and Pianist Ayane Nakajima LIVE at the Sunbeams Music Centre!
Thursday 24th April 2025 @ 7.30pm
Team Drum Nation Quiz Night!
Team Drum Nation will be undertaking the K2B Walk on 10th May 2025 to support 3 causes: Sunbeams, Headway and Cancer Care. On the lead up, the Team are arranging a fun Quiz Night in Kendal at the Parish Hall.
Sunday 23rd March 2025 @ 7pm
£5 per Ticket

The Wolfson Meeting Room
Accommodates up to 14 delegates in all-day comfort chairs around a large board room style table.
Modern, light and airy room offering spectacular views.
Built in LCD projector and remote controlled screen. Fully inclusive and accessible facilities.
The Glassical Hall
Named after Sunbeams Musical Patron Philip Glass, the Glassical Hall offers an acoustically neutral space housing the relationship between Architecture and Music. A multipurpose space which accommodates up to 100 delegates.
Beneficiaries
Sunbeams Projects
Live Music Sessions
Latest from
the Blog
Rebecca and Rachel’s fundraiser for Sunbeams Music Trust
Annie Mawson’s Sunbeams Music Trust were thrilled to invite Rachel Johnson and Rebecca Burrow to the Sunbeams Music Trust on the 13th January to gratefully receive an enormous donation of £2445.05.
Dj Oli Sunbeams fundraiser for Sunbeams Music Trust
"We had a fantastic night, with over 70 people attending and raising over £500 for Sunbeams. Thank you to everyone for attending." DJ Oli DJ OLI was a HUGE success and we all absolutely loved singing and dancing the night away!! THANK YOU so much to DJ Oli and his...
Annie Mawson MBE receives Honorary Fellowship from the University of Cumbria!
On 21st November 2023, Annie received an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Cumbria during its graduation ceremonies in recognition of her lifelong and outstanding contribution to Community Music Therapy in Cumbria. Read more here: November ceremonies to...