Our Mission & Vision
Our Mission
Trauma-informed music studio for 8–18 in care/at risk. Safe space to tell your story through music, strengthen carer bonds, grow confidence — plus preventative therapy step-up when needed.
Our Vision
A Nottingham where vulnerable young people feel safe, connected, hopeful — using music as a bridge to carers & community.
Music is the bridge. Connection is the goal.
Our Values
Trauma-Informed & Therapeutic
Psychological safety, attachment, attunement — not just activities.
Proactive & Preventative
We prioritise early, internal responses to emerging concerns, using standardised measures and young people's own goals to step up into brief therapy before crises escalate.
Quality Over Quantity
Small cohorts, deep work, genuine success stories.
Community
Creative family where everyone belongs and returns.
Play & Fun
Joyful creativity heals. Sessions feel engaging, never clinical.
Safety & Connection
More safe people, safe places in their lives.
Why Only Notts CIC Exists
After a friend's suicide, music became our lifeline. Since 2017 in care and mental health, I've watched it inspire young people facing instability and provide an important creative outlet. As a previous carer, I have grown in frustration over 12 to 18 month CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) waiting lists that operate reactively.
Only Notts CIC is a professional studio delivering trauma-informed sessions worth £50 an hour, with carers side-by-side. Sessions are free to the young person and funded by the organisations and sponsors who partner with us. We offer proactive therapy early, to prevent complex mental health difficulties developing.
Who We
Are
Only Notts CIC is a trauma-informed music studio offering free 1:1 and small-group sessions for young people in care across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Founded by Niall Ogilvie in 2017, we believe music is a lifeline — a way for young people to feel seen, heard and connected.
Who We
Are