Going for a song: Grant to help run Singing Cafe

A GROUP that helps bring people together through music is celebrating a grant to allow them to run a weekly Singing Cafe event.

Berkshire Music Trust has been awarded £1,000 from Berkshire Community Foundation.

The money will help with the running costs of the 45-minute sessions aimed at older people and those with Dementia or Parkinsons.

They are led by qualified teachers and followed by light refreshments.

Berkshire Music Trust said testimonies from people attending were positive.

One said: “This is the best day I have had in a long time, I feel very happy here”, while another said: “I cannot read anymore and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to join in but once the music started playing all the words came back, I knew all of them”.

Bimbi Shaw-Cotterill, singing development coordinator at Berkshire Music Trust, was grateful.

“We are delighted to have received this funding as it will enable us to continue providing the best quality experience for all our members,” they said.

“Through this cost of living crisis, we are conscious that many people who access our services are also being impacted and therefore we are always trying to find ways of making our activities more accessible either through additional funding or subsidising for those with lower incomes.”

Jon Yates, CEO of Berkshire Community Foundation, said they wanted to help enable vibrant, caring and resilient communities.

“We are delighted to support Berkshire Music Trust in its important work and look forward to the positive impact enabled by this grant,” he said. ■ For more on the singing cafes, log on to: www.berksmusictrust.org.uk