Who we are

Our community

Seed Studios is a community made possible by local volunteers dedicated to using music to relieve isolation and improve wellbeing. People experiencing emotional or psychological distress, isolation or loneliness join our Seed Studios activity, and shape its development as members of our community.

Our volunteers have often grown from challenging times, through the community, to a position where they can give back to others. Many of these volunteers have progressed to join our board of trustees, managing our organisation and helping it grow.

Our trustees

Andrew Hodson

Chair of the Board and Founder

Andrew is Seed Studios’ founder, taking us from being a Bluesci community group in 2007, to a registered charity in 2017, and beyond to a vital mental health and creative resource for Trafford today. As a Bluesci Centre Manager, he has supported the development of local community groups. As a member of Warm Digits and through his Distant Listening project, he makes genre-blending Kosmische and Electronic music

Lucy Power

Trustee and Volunteer

Lucy runs our Sound Explorers workshop, offering a weekly opportunity to explore free improvisation, as well as offering her skills from a background in arts management to support the charity’s development as a trustee. Lucy is also undertaking a PhD at the University of Salford, in which her practice and creative methods of support at Seed Studios plays a significant role

Phil Handscomb

Trustee and Treasurer

Phil is an active Seed Studios service user, enjoying our weekly Ukulele workshops, whilst also performing a vital role as our Treasurer, overseeing the charity’s financial controls. Phil worked for over 30 years as a Test Engineer in electronics manufacturing. He has supported the management of other charities such as Mary Sunley Canal Boat Trust and is current Chairman of Stockport Neighbourhood Watch.

Ann-Marie Crowley

Trustee and Volunteer

Ann-Marie runs our Old Trafford Jamming Session, supporting many to have their first taste of playing in a band. Ann-Marie is also a Trustee, bringing her insights as a Neo-Natal sister and Wellbeing Practitioner within the Bluesci at Night service to strengthen Seed Studios’ person-centred approach. Ann-Marie is a singer and guitarist, as well as a member of independent alternative rock band Speed of Sound.

Our staff

Joel David Taylor

Creative & Operations Director

Joel has been managing our charity since joining us in March 2020, fundraising for and overseeing all Seed Studios activity as well as managing our staff and operations since then. He works with the board, staff and volunteers to distil our community’s interests, challenges and needs into a creative strategy for improving local wellbeing.
Joel brings his research experience in academic, further education, VCFSE and ethics & sustainability contexts alongside skills as a music facilitator working young people in Blackpool, Rochdale and Wythenshawe for the Tate, HOME and Your Trust. He also produces electronic music, releasing with several labels as well as performing live and DJing.

Adam Skerritt

Team Leader

Adam has been directly supporting our volunteers and service users day-to-day since September 2021, managing our studios and championing best practice with a positive, empathetic outlook. He makes sure our studios are open and inclusive as possible, offering his skills in facilitation and volunteer development to support new and engaging activity.
Adam draws on his background as a support worker and manager of services for adults at risk and children & young people as well as his time leading on health & safety, risk and compliance for a School within The University of Manchester. He is also multi-instrumentalist, playing in several bands and composing music in his spare time.

Helena Raby

Community Connector

Helena has been managing 1-to-1 sessions between our empathetic music facilitators and individuals referred by our health and community partners. Through designing person-centred sessions which address barriers to creativity and wellbeing, Helena coordinates the activity which makes Seed Studios a partner for positive mental health in Trafford.
Helena draws on her background in music and art facilitation, working with individuals of all ages within a diverse range of healthcare, school and community settings. She has a Psychology with Counselling degree, and also works as a Wellbeing Practitioner with BlueSci Support. She is also a folk singer-songwriter, collaborating with different artists and performing live often.

Our places

We work from our studios at the Old Trafford Wellbeing Centre in Old Trafford, Stretford and the Broomwood Community Wellbeing Centre in Timperley, Altrincham, which means our community is made up of local people living in these areas. To reach more people locally, we work closely with Bluesci who run our centres and deliver NHS CCG-commissioned support for local people experiencing emotional or psychological distress, isolation or loneliness.

We also work with a number of partner organisations to support local Trafford mental health, such as String of Hearts CIC, who we collaborative with to offer monthly workshops to older adults at risk of social isolation. As a charity in Trafford, we care about the local Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector and we are therefore members of the Trafford Community Collective and Old Trafford Community Collective.

Want to volunteer

We are always looking for new volunteers to breath new life into Seed Studios by starting new workshops or helping run our organisation