This year is a big one for us! March marks 10 years since I optimistically stuck up some posters in hostels in London advertising a homeless choir, in the hope someone would turn up to our first rehearsal. Luckily, a handful of brave folk did come along that first week and the rest, as they say, is history.
In that first year, we had 15 people coming to rehearsal. We now have 154 members singing with us every week. Our first gig back in 2008 had 120 people in the audience. We now perform to over 15,000 people across the UK every year. We've come a long way (baby)!
But let's cut to the chase. It's impossible not to notice how severe the homelessness crisis in this country is right now. Rough sleeping has increased 132% since 2010, and cuts to services and benefits means less support for some of the most marginalised people.
In short, our choir communities are needed now more than ever. We want to continue to offer a safe, non judgemental space where people who are homeless, or who are simply in need of a place to belong, can sing their hearts out, make friends and build up the skills and support network needed to move away from homelessness long term. We also want to launch new choirs, reach more people and keep singing for the next ten years (and beyond), but we need your help...
Will you donate a tenner to support our choir members - just £1 for every year we've been singing?
or
Will you help keep our choirs singing for decades to come by giving £10 a month?
Here's how your tenner can help:
- £10 provides six members with a hot meal at rehearsal.
- £10 covers the cost of travel and food for a choir member on gig days, meaning they can perform regularly throughout the year, regardless of their financial circumstances.
- £40 provides a whole choir with a hot, nutritious dinner at one of our rehearsals, often the only hot meal they get all week.
- £150 allows one of our choir directors to run an outreach singing workshop to introduce those at risk of homelessness to our choirs.
We cannot continue our vital work without the generosity of wonderful supporters like you, so please give £10 today and keep our choirs singing for many decades to come - that would be the best birthday present we could possibly wish for!
Thank you very much for your support, now and always.
Marie, CEO & Founder