Volunteering

When Clifden Residential Care Home signed up for a music box, we got in touch with volunteers from Seaford Choral Society to help run a Silver Song Club in the home. This was the result:

 

A few months ago, I expressed an interest in finding out more about “Sing for your life.”I met with Adrian Bawtree, listened to and read about the aims of the Organisation and was taken to visit Clifden House which is a Dementia Care Home in Seaford, East Sussex. There we discussed starting a Silver Singers Group and a date was fixed for our first session. Three other local singers had already volunteered to help me lead the singing and the Home’s Events Organiser offered to operate the Silver Song Box which for me was a great bonus. 

As I arrived at the Home a week later for my first session I was extremely nervous. I looked around the lounge where most of the Residents appeared to be asleep and wondered whether I could actually walk in there and confidently start to sing. I plucked up courage and strumming my guitar started to sing “Daisy, Daisy.” As I walked from one end of the lounge to the other I started to get a response. For the next hour we sang a wide variety of songs and I was aware that most of the residents knew far more of the words than I did! We handed out percussion instruments for them to play and encouraged them to move or dance to the music.

The hour passed very quickly and at 3pm it was time for afternoon tea to be served. What a difference the Singing session had made! Now the residents were sitting forward in their chairs, talking and interacting with each other. There was a happy buzz in the lounge, quite different to how it had been when I nervously entered it one hour before.  I have now led two more sessions and many more are planned. I am very grateful for all the help I get as I could not do it alone.

 

Margaret Hopkins    27 June 2012

Please let us know if you think you can help somewhere else.