Carers’choir to sing happy fifth birthday
Singing group boosts lives of its grateful members
A successful singing group that helps boost the lives of members is getting ready to celebrate its fifth birthday.
The Renfrewshire Carers’ Centre Choir gives a break to people who look after loved ones.
It gets them out of the house, boosts their confidence and lets them raise the roof too.
Choir leader is 32- year- old Kirsty Duncan, and she has around 15 people ranging in age from their 20s to over 80 under her baton.
She said: “The choir was set up within the Carers’ Centre because it meant there would be two hours a week respite for people, and the centre would have the person they care for supported during that time.
“We want to be the best we can in terms of singing, but it’s more about people who are in the same boat.”
Singing is a big help in so many ways for carers, Kirsty added.
“There are so many things about singing,” she said.
“There are so many health benefits, so many mental health benefits as well.
“But for me, it’s been more to do with how do we do the thing of being a community together.
“A n d I think t h a t ’s really important when singing.”
The choir sings everything from numbers from musical theatre to hits from the 1960s to 1980s, and often the choir gets to perform for other groups.
“This last while we’ve done a lot for ROAR– Connections for Life and things like church guilds, care homes, that kind of thing,” Kirsty said.
“And it’s really lovely because the choir loves performing, so for them it’s such a great thing to be part of.
“This year, so far, we’ve performed every week.”
Choir member Charlie Murray, 81, from Linwood, looked after his late wife Ann for many years and became a member of the choir from the very beginning.
“Literally from the day it started,” he said.
“I was caring for my wife and my daughter was looking for activities to get me out the house.
“She thought of the choir – she had a higher opinion of my voice than I had – but nonetheless she said ‘ You’re going there’.
“I’m glad she did because it meant I learned how to sing – but also I met people who are very, very, very different from me in many ways.
“Some of them are younger and they have different interests, but there is a commonality in singing.
“And because of it, we go to places and meet people, and you see that some other people are in a worse state than you.
“We went to a place through at Ralston and the average age was about 90, I think.
“And at the end they stood – some of them had to get helped up – and gave us a standing ovation. “It’s wonderful.” Louise Roderickson, 37, from Renfrew, looks after her husband Paul, 38, who has cerebral palsy.
“My husband started at the Disability Resource Centre in Paisley and they said to me I should join the carers’ centre,” she said.
“I’d never been here before. I never knew anything about it.
“So I phoned up to get i n f o rma t i o n and they sent a newsletter and in the newsletter it said something about the choir.
“And I phoned up to see if it was OK to join the choir and they said yes.”
Joining the choir has been a huge confidence boost for Louise.
“I had zero confidence before I started, and it gives me something to do. It gets me out of the house.
“I love doing the performances. It just makes me feel great.
“It ’ s been so good. My confidence is just great. I can actually sing in front of people now.
“When I first started I was trying to sing really quietly, so nobody could hear me. “It’s amazing. It’s brilliant. “It’s a lot of fun. The people here are like family.”
If you would like to join Renfrewshire Carers’ Choir, call 0141 887 3643, visit www. renfrewshirecarers.co.uk, or visit them in person at the Embroidery Mill, Abbey Mill Business Centre, Paisley.