July 2023 NEWSLETTER
We never tire of receiving your feedback and every week, led by Grace, we are on “Top of the World”. We
hear uplifting tales of enjoyment or see something inspirational but last week’s comment “Mum told me
that this morning’s session had made her feel like she had been drinking” is certainly one that brought a
smile to all of the Trustees’ faces.
We know what logistics so many of you have to overcome to attend but that makes it even more
humbling that our in-person attendance levels are now regularly in the 70-90 bracket and additionally we
have new on-line singers and dancers including our old friend Tracey at her new Care Home.
Beyond this every week we seem to be celebrating someone’s birthday (the youthful Sandy, below, is one
recent example) with a Stevie Wonder-version of “Happy Birthday” and slices of high-calorific chocolate
cake.
In actual fact we ourselves will be celebrating DSO’s own Fourth Birthday this month. Who would have
thought that we still would have been going from strength to strength with our singing, dancing and
socialising when we started back in pre-Covid July 2019?
CURRENT NEWS FROM THE TRUSTEES
We have, since our inception, been totally committed to the mutual benefits of the links with local primary
schools. Recently the attendance of All Saints Primary School’s choir, thanks in no small part to the
benevolence of Wellingborough School’s loan of a minibus and driven by our Trustee Baz, was
memorable for the quality of their enthusiastic singing. A number of our DSO members also joined the
Wellingborough Community Gospel Choir at the official opening of the new Stanton Cross School where
we entertained the parents and dignitaries as we sang alongside the young children in an open-air
performance.
It is a continuing delight for the Wellingborough Community Gospel Choir that an increasing number of
DSO attendees have been supporting our regular concerts in a variety of Northamptonshire churches –
perhaps there will even be some who make the trip up to Edinburgh in August for the exciting venture
which is a series of performances at the internationally-renowned Fringe Festival.
Many of you will be aware that because DSO is a ‘free’ organisation we are wholly reliant upon donations
in being able to cover our weekly outlays. It is therefore with immense gratitude that we have benefited
from the strenuous efforts of two of the wonderful carers, ‘Engagement Leads’ Debbie and Julie (from
B&M Care at St Ann’s and Templemore) who slogged 17 miles around Rutland Water as if they were on a
Sunday afternoon stroll. That they chose to endure physical and mental pain in sweltering heat on our
behalf is testament to both their resilience and the regard which they have for the value of Thursday
morning sessions. Their raising of £1260 for our DSO funds was a magnificent achievement.
FUNDING APPLICATIONS
We wanted to keep you updated on the progress of our recent National Lottery Funding Application. After
an exacting process we are delighted to inform you that we have been successful and we are in the
process of completing an induction programme which will clarify how this funding will be allocated and
how DSO activities will be monitored in the future.
We have also been liaising with Northamptonshire Community Foundation as it promotes wellbeing in the
community. Their personnel attended our session on 22nd June and we are delighted to reveal that the
charity has agreed to make a donation to DSO. As their social media posts highlighted they, like so many
others, were bowled over by the joy which is generated by all of you who attend in whatever capacity.
AND FINALLY
We all deserve a summer holiday and none moreso than Gareth so DSO will be taking its annual summer
break on August 17th and 24th when we will no doubt be wowing the crowds from all over the world in
Edinburgh.
Lucy, Judith, Ruth, Cathie, Kathryn, Baz and Garry (DSO Trustees.)