INTRODUCTION

“When will we be back together again?” is a question which we all ask ourselves & the definitive answer still eludes us BUT WE HAVE PLANS FOR SEPTEMBER …… READ ON!

As Trustees, we wanted to remind you that whilst each Lockdown has affected all of our lives, we feel blessed to have been able to continue & to have received your support & encouragement. Driven by our mantra of “open to anyone, anywhere” DSO’s activities have thrived & our weekly singing sessions continue to attract new participants both from Care Homes & those who live privately,
indeed we have had Zoom singers across the UK & further afield. As a Board of Trustees we have planned not only for a September Open Morning but also for promoting a future beyond the point when we are again able to meet in person; rest assured we will
make it happen!

NEWS FROM GARETH’S ‘BUNKER’

When we recently caught up with the eternally busy Gareth we were able to gain some intriguing insights into the ways in which his working life has changed during the pandemic. Rather than driving thousands of miles each year Gareth’s commute for the last 17 months has been the few yards that he walks to his Wellingborough Bunker from his kitchen into his garden! Working life for Gareth as a choirmaster of multiple choirs has centred on this working studio with its lighting, production and recording facilities. The eagle-eyed on Thursday mornings will have noticed the decorative transformation which the studio has undergone thanks to, on Gareth’s own admission, his “very modest re-plastering and re-decoration skills and key Youtube instructional videos!” Every Thursday DSO session has been conducted from here & Gareth emphasises that he initially felt a disconnect from not seeing people but now there is, what he describes as, “a new connection”. Beware, because Gareth has become even more conscious of observing body language reaction on screen to learn what works and what needs to be adapted. When we return to face-to-face singing sessions Gareth is clear that the central ethos will be unchanged: enjoyment coupled with even greater engagement with each person taking part. Questioned about what make the key ingredients in successful Thursday sessions, Gareth was at pains to keep it simple: “a light and enjoyable tune, a beat to get people moving and a song which prompts a smile”. In response to the inevitable query about his own favourite Thursday morning song from our playlists Gareth was unequivocal “I had never really heard it previously but the song that looks like it means something to everyone because they all smile and really get into it ……. without doubt ‘Country Roads’. ”

PLAYLIST

The burning question on everyone’s lips: what is our own weekly favourite once 1,2,3,4,5 warm-up, stretching & shaking have increased the bloodflow? Is it Bring Me Sunshine, with its Morecombe & Wise dance steps? Is it smooth shimmying to Come on Over to My Place & My Boy Lollipop? The conclusion is that This Little light of Mine & Que Sera Sera, as they were in our very first session, appear to be our firm favourites. Of the more recent additions despite the fact that Gareth had not encountered much John Denver in his professional career, Country Roads is Number 1. To mark our new phase we are extending the repertoire & our latest additions for September have been presented to Gareth & we await his response to suggestions from the Mamas & the Papas, the Beatles, the Supreme & Nat King Cole.

SUPPORT & THANKS

We all acknowledge the manner in which the pandemic has had a huge impact upon both the Care and the Charity sectors; as Trustees we continue to be overwhelmed by the generosity of spirit & support, both moral & financial, which has sustained us since March 2020 & the commitments already received which will allow us to enter our new phase from September. For any future donations, our JustGiving page is live at https://www.justgiving.com/dementiasingsout & includes the facility to add Gift Aid to your donation.

NEXT STEPS REMINDERS

● Thursday 12th August. Our summer holiday will commence after this on-line session.
● Thursday 2nd September at 1O.3Oam. We are hoping to recommence our weekly face-to-face DSO sessions in the Everyday Champions Church, Havelock Street in Wellingborough, NN8 4QA in early September. This will start with an ‘Open Morning’ open to Carers, Family and Friend Carers, Care Home and Wellbeing Managers. This will give us a chance to reconnect, have a little sample singing workshop, chat over coffee & biscuits & get your input and feedback into how we can move forward and get back to pre-Covid normality as soon as possible. You will be sent an invitation shortly. Everyone is welcome!
● Thursday 9th September at 10.30am. Hopefully, our first singing session open for all at The Everyday Champions Church.

At our most recent Trustees’ meeting we seriously considered undertaking a roadshow which would visit numerous Care Home locations & we undertook to pursue this further. We are told that logistics would make this impractical at the time of writing but this remains a distinct future possibility. In our previous life one of our proudest moments was the joint sessions held with schoolchildren from Wellingborough schools. To see the interaction between young children & those a little more mature, was humbling; the mutual benefits were obvious for all to see & this will be a key part of our future work. Similarly we would like to extend our involvement with community groups of all kinds including scouts & guides but we are open to all suggestions.

We will continue to provide updates on our Facebook page and via our website https://dementiasingsout.org/live/

Cathie, Judith, Kathryn, Ian, Lucy, Ruth, Garry & Gareth.