Sharing Tulli’s Smile seeking to expand its services further in 2025

For the second year running, Sharing Tulli’s Smile has been awarded a grant from the Ashbury Community Fund which will put be towards supporting and maintaining a permanent music therapy program on the children’s ward at Barwon Health’s University Hospital .

The Geelong-based not-for-profit was founded by Bek and Trav Seabert in memory of their daughter, Tulli Rose Seabert, who was born with a number of complex medical conditions and tragically passed away aged just 8 years old in November 2019.

Having witnessed first-hand the power and impact music on their daughter during her all too frequent stays in hospital, they were inspired to establish the fund to provide regular music therapy sessions delivered by a registered music therapist on the children’s ward at Barwon Health Geelong, to help bring a little joy to children experiencing hospitalisation.

We recently caught up with Sharing Tullis Smile’s indefatigable co-founder, Bek Seabert, to find out  how the organisation is travelling, what the year ahead holds and how it plans to utilise the grant.

What are the biggest challenges running an organisation like Sharing Tulli’s Smile?

“Like many organisations operating in the not-for-profit sector right now, our key challenges are how to secure ongoing funds to support our programs and make sure our voices are heard in an increasingly crowded environment.

“Securing a steady stream of income is critical. Donations invariably decline when economic conditions are tough like right now. But donor fatigue or shift in donor priorities can also result in fluctuations, making long-term planning difficult.

“In terms of awareness and visibility, with more (very worthy) organisations than ever now competing for attention and funding, building and maintaining public awareness is a constant challenge and we are increasingly focused on activities like leveraging social media, organising events, and building partnerships to ensure our ongoing viability.”

How difficult is it to secure funding for what you do?

“Securing funding has always been – and remains, a huge and constant challenge! It means we have to run multiple fundraisers through the year to keep funds coming in to pay our registered music therapist. Plus we’re also heavily reliant on community generosity and grants from organisations like the Dennis Family Corporation which are invaluable in helping to alleviate pressure on fundraising.”

What services and support are most in demand right now?

“Right now a key focus is supporting medical trauma paediatric patients undergoing procedures. For example this might include sitting in with them while they get a blood test done, decreasing the need for sedation and making the whole experience a lot more positive – not just for the patient but the family as well.”

What have been the organisation’s biggest achievements and milestones in 2024?

“A combination of generous financial donations and successful fundraising efforts have meant we’ve been able close the year out by expanding our program to two full days a week – a long way from the one hour of therapy a fortnight which was all we could afford to support when we started!  It’s also allowed us to extend our service into more departments around the hospital including the Children’s Ward, Paediatric Emergency Department, Special Care and ICU, as well as patients’ clinics with in the hospital.”

What’s on the radar for 2025?

“We’re already in the process of rolling out a number of new Initiatives and programs next year including group and individual session for newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes patients; weekly group music therapy sessions for patients with mental health and eating disorders, during pre and post feeds on the children’s ward; one on one music therapy sessions with patients in special care; and group music therapy sessions with patients in special care and their families. Plus, we’re also supporting research studies into the benefits of music therapy in hospital and looking to add art therapy to the suite of services we provide.”

How did you use the 2023 grant and how do you plan to use this grant plus additional funding from Dennis Family Corporation?

“Thanks to the generous support of Dennis Family Corporation and other donors over the past 12 months, we’ve been able to increase the hours musical therapy support offered in the hospital’s special care nursey and introduce support to patients undergoing day stay procedures. It’s also allowed us to offer group therapy sessions to support patients admitted with eating disorders through pre and post feeds.”

How can people become involved with Sharing Tulli’s Smile?

“There are so many ways that people can become involved with Sharing Tulli’s Smile. To volunteer, support the organisation or donate, head to our website www.sharingtullismilefund.org.au. Plus you can also keep up to date with all our events, hospital visits and what we’re up to generally on our Instagram and Facebook pages.

“Or, if you’re looking to access music therapy on the children’s ward or the paediatric emergency department at Barwon Health, just speak with the nursing staff for more info.”

For more details about the Ashbury Community Fund, visit the Ashbury website at www.ashburyestate.com.au.