How Music Relief Foundation Started

The History and Journey of Music Relief Foundation

Magdalene Usikaro is the Founder and CEO of Music Relief Foundation (MRF), a charitable organisation dedicated to empowering young people, strengthening communities, and creating life-changing opportunities through music, education, mentoring, and youth development.

Born in Nigeria, Magdalene moved to the United Kingdom with her family in 1992 at the age of 11. In 1999, she became a teenage mother and faced significant challenges, including stigma, exclusion, and rejection from both her church and family. Rather than allowing these experiences to define her future, she used them as the catalyst for creating positive change in the lives of others.

Following the 2011 riots, Magdalene relocated to Croydon from Stockwell and, after completing her undergraduate degree as a mature student at the University of East London, began developing the vision that would become Music Relief Foundation. Between 2012 and 2014, she volunteered in multiple secondary schools across the London Borough of Islington under the Music Relief Foundation banner as a Coach for a Day, engaging with and inspiring thousands of young people.

In January 2015, Music Relief Foundation was formally registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee, before achieving full charitable status in October 2019. Today, under Magdalene’s leadership, the organisation operates a growing music school and delivers youth leadership, wellbeing, mentoring, and community development programmes. Through her lived experience, passion, and commitment to social impact, Magdalene continues to inspire young people to overcome barriers, realise their potential, and become positive contributors to their communities.