When Fiona was first asked in 2014 to lead a new music outreach project in East London, she hesitated. The idea had come from leaders of the East London Seventh-day Adventist churches who were discussing how to create centers of influence in their communities. Health and education were mentioned. Then someone suggested a music school. Pastor David Burnett, who knew Fiona from her work directing large choirs and orchestras— including 25 years of annual performances—put her name forward. At first, she was unsure. “I had thought about starting something in North London,” she said. “But that didn’t work out.” Still, she lived in East London. After prayer and reflection, she agreed. On April 5, 2015, the East London School of Classical Music (ELSOM) opened its doors at Clapton Seventh-day Adventist Church in the London Borough of Hackney. They began the Adventist Church and reaching the wider community. At first, most students came from local congregations, but after a simple website launched in 2016, more non-Adventist families began enrolling. Then the pandemic changed everything. While many programs paused, ELSOM continued. An IT-specialist parent helped set up Google Classroom so students could submit music theory assignments and arrange online lessons. About half the students adapted to the new format. “We didn’t want the children doing nothing,” Fiona explained. “Music gave them structure and hope.” During that same period, another outreach was operating in the church building: the E5 Baby Bank, which supported more than 300 struggling families with food, clothing, and essentials. As families entered the building, they heard classical music drifting down the hallway. “Classical music has a therapeutic effect,” Fiona said. “Parents would ask about the sound.” Referrals began coming from social services, mental health support agencies, and family support networks. Fiona personally accepted several children referred through the Baby Bank, many from refugee or vulnerable backgrounds. In 2021, ELSOM registered as a charity, to subsidize lessons. Today, the school has grown from ten students to 150. Twelve teachers now serve, some in person and some online, with students joining not only from East London but from Wales, Scotland, and beyond. One of the school’s largest achievements came in 2024, when the Arts Council awarded 10,000 British Pounds for a 17-week orchestra project for children and youth aged eight to nineteen. Fiftythree young people participated. Two performances followed: one at the Clapton Seventh-day Adventist Church and another at the Royal College of Music. In April 2025, ELSOM celebrated its tenth anniversary with a week of special events. The highlight came when a member of the Royal Family—the Duchess of Gloucester— visited the Clapton Church, listened to a twenty-minute orchestra performance, and spent an hour visiting with the students. Behind the scenes, partnerships continue to grow. Through a connection with the organization “Nucleo,” ELSOM has received more than thirty donated instruments— violins, violas, woodwinds, brass, keyboards, and even a white double bass. A cousin of Fiona’s helped secure the long-term loan of a full set of timpani, saving the charity hundreds of pounds in rental fees per concert. “At the moment,” Fiona laughs, “my living room looks like a music warehouse.” But space has become the school’s greatest limitation. Operating primarily on Sundays and limited weekday evenings at the church, ELSOM has waiting lists and receives new inquiries every week. Fiona and her team are currently exploring the lease of a larger space. “Our mission is to reach more communities,” she said. “Music is the medium. Through classical music, people who are not together seniors, carers, children, and families in choirs and orchestras, loaning instruments so finances do not become a barrier. For Fiona, the purpose remains simple: “It’s about passing on opportunities we were given to those who otherwise might never have them.”