New singing groups

It's been a week or so of new groups in new places! Building on the work we do in Chichester with Mind Body Sing, supported by the festival theatre, West Sussex Mind have invited us to run 5 taster community singing sessions at the Grange in Midhurst. We ran our second session today (Monday 13th) and it's going very well. We start the session as people arrive by playing tunes on the uke and violin. It breaks the ice and gets people into the music straight away. Once everyone is seat we get on with singing warm ups, rounds and songs with percussion (and dancing!).
We've also been asked to help start a singing group that is dementia friendly in Petersfield, held at the United Reform church. We met for the first time last Thursday and there must have been about 50 people there! So it looks like the people of Petersfield want a community singing group.
We've also been visiting Spinnaker Ward at St Mary's and Jubilee House in Cosham, once a month, so sing songs and play tunes. Along with the carehomes and day centres we visit, each group is different with a different pace and levels of involvement, but one thing is constant: Live music! It has a tremendous impact on people who are isolated and lonely, in recovery from serious illness and also at the end of life. It is a very joyful, meaningful and special time to spend time singing and making music with others. It connects people across language and speech barriers, those with limited mobility and those who are lost. It brings us out of ourselves and also connects us to who we are. It does more than lift spirits, it helps to heal.
I hope to be able to start the Circle Dance for Dementia group in the Autumn which will be another way to help people reconnect with others and feel they belong.