Our choir members are people who have experienced homelessness, or are simply going through a tough time.

We want our choirs to provide a safe space, where people can express themselves without being labelled, or judged. We aim for our choirs to help members build their confidence and skills, and make genuine life-long friendships, so that they are in a better position to tackle the other challenges in their lives and move away from homelessness long-term.

We also have an aim to reduce the stigma faced by our members in wider society and, provide an empowering space where people can reclaim their identity; as individuals with dreams and aspirations.

As we navigated our way through multiple and ever-changing restrictions, we were thrilled to return to in person choir rehearsals, gigs and workshops, after 18 months of being apart.  We are so proud of our choir families - our members, volunteers and staff - for being there for each other when we needed it most, and for never stopping singing.

How we're doing:

Between January and March 2023, 131 members took part in our annual anonymous member survey. Our members told us that, as a result of being a part of the Choir with No Name:

• 90% reported a sense of belonging at choir
• 91% made meaningful friendships
• 92% said they had fun at choir
• 91% reported increased confidence
• 84% said choir helped them feel less lonely
• 85% said choir gave them an increased sense of purpose
• 88% told us being part of choir has helped then feel more positive and optimistic
• 81% said choir helped reduce anxiety or stress
• 78% reported an increase in personal resilience
• 81% said choir had a positive impact on their mental health
• 75% told us that they had acheived at least one postiive life change since joining choir, including securing housing, finding work or better management of addictions

In 2022/23 :​

• We worked with a 750 people though our rehearsals and outreach programme
• We welcomed 408 people to at least one rehearsal, either online or in person, with 176 new members and 207 members who attend rehearsals regularly.
• We reached 383 people through our outreach workshop programme, delivering 22 workshop sessions at services for people at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness.
• We delivered 373 rehearsals across six choirs.
• We saw a triumphant return to live performances, welcoming 25,000 people to 54 barnstorming gigs, including our epic Christmas Singalongs at Cadogan Hall and Brighton Dome, and summer spectaculars at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Everytman Theatre Liverpool
• 101 amazing volunteers gave their time and skills to help keep our rehearsals and gigs running smoothly - and lend a friendly ear to members.

We're really proud of our achievements and would love to share them with you. 

Our 2023 impact report is will eb available soon, in the mean time you can read our Impact Report 2022

(You can also see Impact Reports from previous years at the bottom of this page)

What our members say:

“When I first started singing with CWNN I was really nervous standing there in the group and singing. But by the Christmas concert, I was grabbing the mic and singing solo! My confidence has really improved. I think it's because you feel like you're in a really safe space and that people genuinely care about you. They do actually genuinely care. It just feels very loving and authentic. I find it really hard to describe to anybody else who’s not part of the choir. Having the space to just be yourself, that's really helped me transform.”

Birmingham choir member

"If my life was a ladder, when I joined choir I was on the bottom rung. Choir is a really happy space - I’ve made a lot of life-long friends. Coming to choir was the start of me climbing up that ladder and becoming the confident person I am today."
Dan, Liverpool 

"I first started going to the choir whilst I was in a hostel and not in the best place mentally - I had a lot of issues going on with family and other things. The Choir has actually saved my life without them even knowing it, because they helped lift me out of a dark place with their joyful and non-judgmental attitude and amazing friendly atmosphere. They helped me take my mind off everything and have no worries one night a week." Gareth, Liverpool

"Everyone is super friendly and welcoming that it comforts me, whatever my mood. I find it helpful emotionally, stabilising me whenever I am down." Brighton choir member

“The virtual choir rehearsals are really helping my mental health; I look forward to Monday evenings so much. It’s not just a choir, it's a real sense of community.” Isla, Brighton 

“At Choir everybody’s welcoming and we like to look after each other. I enjoy feeling like I can offer some support and guidance to other members, because I’ve been where they are. Since being in the choir I’ve managed to get through a difficult part of my life and now I feel able to say to others ‘this is what you can do, because this is what worked for me.” Steve, Birmingham

“In the CWNN everybody just smiles automatically, it creates something really beautiful.” Liverpool choir member

If you want to help us continue our work offering hope and harmony to people affected by homelessness, you can make a donation HERE