Sing Up Southampton get an extra big thumbs up after receiving an ‘outstanding’ evaluation and a £30,000 grant from the city council to continue with their work.
Cup o’ tea?
Supported by local radio, the project launched with a series of St George’s Day tea parties at three settings, to which local primary school children and senior citizens in Sheltered Housing were invited. Through this informal party setting, the two groups were able to meet and share a range of activities based around music, singing, discussion and play.
The project continued in each setting on a four-week rolling programme. The impact on both the children and the elderly has been significant. The children have learned how to interact and share ideas with older people; they’ve learned about history first hand from the people who’ve lived it and they’ve learned that their singing brings happiness to others, which has increased their confidence and furthered their enjoyment.
The project has also opened up a new level of companionship for the elderly residents. There has been much fun and laughter with participants trying out instruments, wearing silly hats, singing songs with actions and generally losing their self-consciousness. It has enabled participants who may not have sung for years to find their voice.
Congratulations
News of the £30,000 grant has caused quite a stir at Sing Up. Funded Programmes Manager, Jo Hunter, is absolutely delighted, ‘The project has really thought outside the box. The funding reflects the hard work and dedication the team have put in to making this community a successful one. We are thrilled.’
The project has met with great interest and the model has proved so successful that the format is now being put to use in Worthing. For Christine Ward, Assistant Music director at Southampton Music Service, the grant is just the boost they need, ‘The financial backing means we can sustain and expand the project. It shows that the council really understand the benefits of our project and we are looking forward to spreading ourselves further into the community.’
Want to know more about our Sing Up Communities? You can find out more in the About Us section.
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