INTRODUCTION

There is never a dull moment with DSO. As we prepare for the festivities, including our Christmas tea
party on Thursday 15th December, we wanted to keep you updated on our comings and goings.

Our numbers in attendance have now exceeded our pre-pandemic levels and we can now boast
babies and toddlers as well as those who are a touch more mature. There are crooners, proper
singers and those who come along to exercise their tonsils. There are ballroom dancers, dad
dancers, budding Strictly stars and reluctant conga participants. There are impressive techno-types
like Grace (mentioned in our September newsletter) from the Hawthorns in Northampton and others
who can’t tell their megabytes from their underbites but it makes no difference. Every Thursday
morning is an absolute joy to such an extent that there was despair last week when the session was
cancelled due to Gareth’s illness.

CURRENT NEWS FROM THE TRUSTEES

Our major news is that we have secured funding for the next little while. The generosity of the charity
fundraising efforts of Sheena Markham, Ladies Golf Captain at Wellingborough Golf Club will enable
us to balance the books and cover our ongoing weekly expenses.

One aspect of our work is the links which we have forged with primary schools in an attempt to raise
awareness of dementia. We promote the idea that today’s youngsters can benefit from rubbing
shoulders with the more aged and hearing their stories, whilst there is a mutual benefit in that those
living with dementia, and indeed all of us, can be lifted by youth’s energy. We have in the past
welcomed Paul Lee from The Kingdom Choir (remember them from Harry and Meghan’s Wedding) to
sing with schoolchildren. Next month we are eagerly looking forward to welcoming and singing with
both Wellingborough Prep School children on Thursday 1st December and then Ruskin Infants’ School
on Thursday 8th December.

We have continued to keep abreast of the logistical challenges facing Care Homes in their attempts to
return to us in person. Whether this is a staffing, insurance, transport or Zoom technology issue we
would urge anyone to speak to us directly. We are currently helping a number of our attendees in
various ways and because of the incredible volunteer support with which we are blessed, we would
always like to think that we could help in some way.

We have been delighted over recent weeks to have welcomed a number of our Thursday morning
crowd to concerts performed by our sister choir, Wellingborough Community Gospel Choir. The
Savoy (the former Deco Theatre in Northampton where both The Beatles and The Stones played and
PJ Proby split his trousers), All Hallow’s Church in Wellingborough and St Mary’s Church, Wollaston
are such examples.

As part of our on-going commitment to the broader community effort to support those living with
dementia and their carers, our ever-growing army of wonderful volunteers underwent further
Dementia Friend training recently thanks to Suzanne Evans, who has worked with us previously. The
weekly contribution which our volunteers, many of whom are also members of our Wellingborough
Community Gospel Choir, make to the positivity of our sessions is simply awesome. We have already
had offers from them to drive attendees who are challenged by transport logistics to our Thursday
sessions.

And finally……

There are times in our lives when a change is prompted by circumstances totally outside our control.
As trustees we wanted to inform all of our friends that the day of our Christmas Party will, sadly, be
our last session at The Champions’ Church in Wellingborough. We began our story here in June
2019 and Sam and Mica have looked after us superbly every week. However, we are hugely excited
to have secured an alternative venue only 1.5 miles away. The first session back will be on Thursday
12th January 2023 when Gareth will be helping us all to shed a few festive pounds. More details to
follow shortly.

Lucy, Judith, Ruth, Cathie, Kathryn, Baz & Garry
(DSO Trustees).