Our Christmas hope
Special charity steps in when families find themselves in trouble Seashells were there for me when I was struggling
WITH no family nearby to support her, and growing financial problems, expectant new mum Joanne Lang was struggling.
But she turned the corner when she was helped by a remarkable community centre on the Kent coast.
Seashells Children and Families Centre in Sheerness, on the Isle of Sheppey, offers families a range of services, classes and workshops that support and change lives.
Since 2005, the centre has run a children’s creche and nursery, while health visitors oversea antenatal, breastfeeding and child development classes.
Joanne, 29, was supported through her pregnancy and after giving birth to Damon, now five.
She says: “I was a new mum and it all got a bit much. They gave me my confidence back.”
The centre’s manager, Pat Bacon, explains: “Basically we are TSB support hundreds of local charities across the country. For more stories like this visit tsb.co.uk/local-pride or pop into your local TSB branch to find out more. here to offer help to all those in greater need. We try to offer preventative services.” This year alone, the centre has supported 9,540 family members. Seashells has been chosen as a TSB Local Charity Partner by the bank’s Isle of Sheppey branch. Janine Harris, cashier and charity ambassador, says: “We’ve been proud to raise funds for them.” It’s something many new mums dream of - some muchneeded ‘me time’. Natalie Veal was inspired to set up a unique baby-friendly choir in Bristol to give them just that, and she has since helped dozens of mums in her community.
The former secondary school teacher launched the Melody Makers Choir two years ago, naming it after her first daughter. She says: “The choir is all about mums doing something for themselves. They are usually always looking to entertain their babies and young children. I just wanted to change the focus back on to the mum. It is important that my ladies are able to forget about nappies and bottles for an hour and focus instead on feeling energised and uplifted.”
She explains: “We all sit in a circle and place the babies in the middle while we sing uplifting pop songs. The babies look back at their mothers in wonder. Either that, or they start screaming and crying!”
The wider impact of the group is undeniable. Natalie, 38, says: “One of my mums told me that coming to the babyfriendly choir is the only thing she actually looks forward to all week. She has postnatal depression.”
evening choir She also runs an evening choir where men and women of all ages are welcome. At least 60 people join in.
“I had been doing the baby-friendly choir for a year and then felt ready to open up to the wider community,” says Natalie. “There is nothing more powerful than getting a community of people together to sing.”
She and her singers decided they wanted to give back and last month released a song to raise money for Southmead Hospital this Christmas. We Are The Same Inside, by the Melody Makers Choir and Horfield Primary School Choir for the NHS, was released on November 19.
The choir is being supported by TSB partners in the South West region.
Natalie adds: “Every member of the choir has a connection to the hospital, and we all have put a lot of love into this song.” TSB is supporting Local Charities Day 2018. On 14th December we’re inviting our TSB Local Charity Partners into branches to engage with customers and raise vital funds.