Book Tour day one at Braywick Court
Maidenhead Advertiser Review October 15th 2026
Pupils at Braywick Court School joined a giant conga dance as a Maidenhead-based charity visited to promote its new children’s book, Rosie’s Rainbow Conga, on the first stop of its tour.
Charity founder Carolyn Mayling led two workshops on Monday, giving children dressed in rainbow colours the chance to learn about their work supporting seriously ill and disabled children in hospital through music therapy.
Headteacher Michelle Robertson said the school was delighted to support the charity, established in memory of Carolyn’s daughter, Rosie, who died at 11.
She said: “I am delighted to say that Braywick Court School raised £580 for Rosie’s Rainbow Fund following our event today [Monday].
“Welcoming the charity’s founder, Carolyn, was an incredibly uplifting experience for our whole school.
“Music has a unique power to heal and bring people together, as proven by our entire school joining in a giant conga.
“Today’s workshops clearly demonstrated the difference the charity makes for children in hospital, and seeing our pupils embrace the rainbow theme and engage with Rosie’s Rainbow Conga made it a truly memorable event.
“It was a fantastic way for our children to learn about and support this wonderful local charity.”
Rosie’s Rainbow Fund provides music therapy for seriously ill children in hospitals and specialist schools and offers family retreats, respite breaks and bereavement counselling.
Written by Carolyn and illustrated by Ursula Hurst, the new book launched in June and tells the story of Rosie arriving on a children’s hospital ward with a trolley of musical instruments.
As the children discover the joy of music, the grey and silent ward becomes a place of colour and laughter. Rosie then leads the children, doctors and nurses in a rainbow conga.
The charity song, Make the Conga Longa, was co-written by Carolyn and Dean Amer, whose seven-year-old son Rafi was left with severe brain injuries after contracting E.coli poisoning and benefited from music therapy during his year in hospital.
Describing the reception from Braywick Court School pupils, Carolyn added: “It’s like a rainbow of colour swirling around the room – it was amazing. They absolutely loved it.”
She told students her first visit was especially poignant because Rosie attended Winbury School, which was based on the same Braywick Park site and closed in 2011.
Carolyn is now inviting other schools and children’s groups, including Rainbows, clubs and book groups, to join the book tour.
“It looks like it’s going to catch on,” she said. “My mission is for every child to grow up knowing what music therapy is, because it’s not somebody rocking up at the hospital with a guitar – it’s a powerful medium to reach very ill children.
“It can motivate children when they’re sick and can’t do anything else. It can get them out of bed, and for non-verbal children, music reaches them. The book is out in the world now, so I want it to spread far and wide.
"The whole point is to make this conga the longest in the world to raise awareness of music therapy.”
Caryolyn visited Burchetts Green Infants School on Tuesday, and the charity has received many videos of people joining in the conga, including the cast of the Broadway musical, Masquerade, the West End cast of Matilda and even pupils at Sir William Borlase Grammar School.
“Everybody has just taken to it. It’s obviously a very sad story, the basic story of my daughter and everything, but this is not sad. This is uplifting and joyful,” she added.
A colouring book version and pet bandanas are available to promote Rosie’s Rainbow Conga. A sequel is also yet to be published.
Schools and groups interested in hosting a visit can email info@rosiesrainbowfund.co.uk.
