More than £5,000 of lottery funding awarded to choir for people with Parkinson's

More than £5,000 of lottery funding has been awarded to a choir for people with Parkinson's disease in Jersey.

The Sparky Parkys are a musical group in which islanders do speech therapy and voice exercises in an attempt to slow the effects of the illness.

Organisers say singing has been shown to reduce symptoms like tremors and poor posture because it helps to relax muscles and release tension in the back and neck.

They also say it improves participants' wellbeing and allows them to share their experiences of living with the disease.

The choir's vocal rehabilitation coach, Nicki Kennedy, says she has already seen some of the attendees' voices improve. Credit: ITV Channel TV

For some of the attendees, they say it would have been impossible for them to get up and perform not too long ago, but the choir has given them new-found confidence.

And for Rosemary Legg, a woman who cares for her husband Dougie who has the disease, she says it has helped to know that he is not alone in his struggle.

"When you come here, it doesn't matter if you spill something or you can't get the words out. Nobody bothers because we're all in the same boat. It's helped us both a lot. This helped me. I feel as a carer that I've got support here."

Organisers believe they have already seen some improvements in the singers, both in terms of their illness and their general wellbeing.

The choir's vocal rehabilitation coach, Nicki Kennedy, said: "We have people who are reporting that their voices are stronger, and who are not just noticing it for themselves, but their friends are commenting and saying, oh gosh, you know you sound stronger.

"But more importantly, we think people are coming in with confidence and joy and there's a tremendous buzz and companionship."

The choir meets every Friday afternoon at St Andrew's Church, with currently around 20 members attending with their carers.

The Sparky Parkys practice popular songs with the aim of performing for family and friends.

Some are even talking about having a go at doing harmonies - it is hoped activities like this can slow the effects of their illness, and bring a bit of joy on the way.