'Happy Voices' - is in full voice
Published on 30 August 2020 11:11 AM
Happy Voices for Those Living With Dementia and Memory Loss - Launches digitally
A successful singing group for those with dementia ‘Happy Voices’ is being provided digitally via Govenek Active Living Hub (Age UK Cornwall) every Friday, from 10 am to 12 pm. The group is a community-led project between Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CFT), Age UK Cornwall and Newquay Towan Blystra Lions.
Set up by CFT’s Sinead Kerr, who is a Primary Care Dementia Practitioner for the Newquay area, Happy Voices invites anyone with dementia/memory loss and any carer, friend, or family member to come along. The power of music, especially singing, to unlock memories and kick-start the brain’s grey matter is an increasingly key feature of dementia care and is said to reach parts of the damaged brain in ways other forms of communication cannot.
Happy Voices hopes that by involving those living with and alongside dementia in social singing sessions will help to combat loneliness, boost confidence, self-esteem and, quality of life.
"I set the group up after seeing Plymouth’s ‘Singing for the Brain’ group perform last year. At the performance I heard all about the amazing benefits of singing for those with dementia and wanted to recreate this opportunity for my own clients" commented Sinead.
Donna Smokvina from Age UK’s Govenek Hub commented "When Sinead asked me if she could use one of our rooms for the singing group, it was an ideal opportunity to strengthen what we already do as a day centre, as well as encouraging more people in the community to get involved and have some fun. We have continued to offer this service digitally - and we can already see the huge difference it makes.