Meet the team

Ben Buddy Slack
Founder & Creative Director
Ben is an award winning songwriter and community musician. He has released albums as a solo artist, with his band (The Blind Dead McJones Band) and as a duo with Siobhan Donnelly. His community music work has involved delivering songwriting workshops and courses in a variety of community settings, mental health facilities and prisons. He was inspired to start The Swan Song Project after losing his Grandma and regretting not recording her singing with him.
Email: Ben@swansongproject.co.uk

Gemma Cross
Fundraising Manager
Gemma has extensive experience in the charity sector and has successfully worked in fundraising roles at national and local charities often with a health/end of life care focus. She has always had a keen interest in The Swan Song Project. This was fuelled further by witnessing a gentleman perform his Swan Song in a hospice setting. In her spare time Gemma is an avid supporter of the local music scene.
Email: Gemmacross@swansongproject.co.uk
Affiliate Artists

Sam Hodgson / Samh

Lisa Marie Glover

Jess Baker / Kaninchen
Jess is a community musician based in Huddersfield. She runs community choirs and singing workshops, specialising in harmony singing for mental health and wellbeing. Jess performs in several bands and performs as a solo artist under the name Kaninchen using voice and loop pedal.

Ric Neale
“Ric has extensive experience as a songwriter and musical director. He has released several solo albums and worked on a range of shows. Two of Rics songs made the top ten of the UK Songwriting Contest in 2013 and he has lectured on songwriting for over ten years in the UK and overseas.” www.ricneale.com
Trustees
Email: trustees@swansongproject.co.uk

Adrian Sinclair

Anthony Waddington
Anthony is the Project Director at Participate Projects, responsible for Social Venture support projects and employee volunteering across Leeds City Region. He has personal experience of the value of music at the end of life and believes everyone should have the opportunity to write their Swan Song.

Jeannie Lumb
Jeannie is a qualified social worker and a life-long fan of all kinds of music. From personal and professional experiences, she’s aware of how music touches peoples’ lives and their deaths, and believes that Swan Song is a great way to give and receive memories of a precious life.

Chris Martin
Interested in writing a song with us?
Latest Swan Song News

Dear Eddie Newell – A blog by Charlotte Newell
I was recommended to the Swan Song Project through my bereavement councillor at the start of December. Straight away I was incredibly interested to find out more so on the same day I sent an email and was lucky enough to have my first session with Ben the next day. My...
Podcast

Swan Song Podcast #53 – Brooks Williams
Brook's song choice is "Brand New Angel" by Greg Brown, performed by Jeff Bridges. Hear it here -...

Swan Song Podcast #52 – Jade Helliwell
Jade's song choice is "See you again" by Carrie Underwood. Hear it here...