The 'Golden Oldies' charity using online singing sessions to combat the lockdown blues
A charity that lifts older people's spirits with a singsong and a cuppa has had to go online during the pandemic.
The founder of 'Golden Oldies' says 'You can't be sad if you're singing' but he fears the second lockdown is leading to 'real sadness' in older people who have become isolated.
'Golden Oldies' was started in 2008 by Grenville Jones with just four singing sessions in Bath and North East Somerset. Now there are sessions across England and Wales, with more than 60 leaders.
The groups bring people together who are socially isolated as well as people with learning difficulties and dementia. Many of the 'Goldies', as they are known, see the group as a lifeline.
Watch a feature on the Golden Oldies by The People's Postcode Lottery, which has supported the charity
The groups bring people together who are socially isolated as well as people with learning difficulties and dementia. Many of the 'Goldies', as they are known, see the group as a lifeline.
Grenville Jones noted how singing popular music can combat loneliness and take people back to happy times. The 'Sing and Smile' sessions cover a wealth of material from Vera Lynn to Johnny Cash and, of course, Cliff Richard, who is the charity's patron.
Mike Ball from Stoke Gifford near Bristol joined a local Goldies group five years ago, after his wife died.
"I got introduced to going up there by a friend when my wife passed away. I didn't think that I would enjoy it. But the minute I walked in, the first song that was playing was Pretty Woman and I was hooked.
"I've been ever since. It's the camaraderie. You have a chat for a quarter of an hour before and an hour after until they have to throw us out and we go in the coffee shop."
In March 2020, when the pandemic hit, all the sessions were stopped, the coffee shops closed and - what had become a lifeline for many - was suddenly taken away.
The charity's founder, Grenville Jones, says the lockdown was a huge shock.
"I mean everyone was devastated and we're just a small charity. But we started then to use the internet to bring the sessions into people's homes."
Mike Ball joins in the sessions with his laptop.
He says, "We get it twice a week now, Tuesday and Thursday. That's been very good. Something to keep you going, something to look forward to."
Mike says the online sessions are keeping him going as he counts the days until things return to normal and he'll sing with his friends once more.
Grenville Jones is hoping the online sessions will be enough to prevent loneliness.
Grenville says, "If you're singing along to your favourite songs, at least for that moment in time you might forget that sadness and you might smile. And, if we can bring songs and smiles to people, the Golden Oldies is more than doing its bit, I think."
Find out more about the Golden Oldies here.
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