Can't Sing Choir celebrates first birthday

Can't Sing Choir UK celebrates its first birthday at New Waltham near Grimsby

A choir which prides itself on being unable to sing is celebrating its first birthday.

Can’t Sing Choir UK, based in New Waltham near Grimsby, has about 25 members aged between 30 and 80.

Founder Naomi Reddyhoff said it was supporting members experiencing bereavement, loneliness and health conditions.

One member said: "I am tone deaf but coming here, it doesn’t matter."

Naomi Reddyhoff also runs choirs in North Somercotes and Louth

Ms Reddyhoff, 64, set up the choir after moving to Lincolnshire from Oxfordshire.

She said: “It's just great fun. It’s a great way of making friends and makes you feel really good about yourself because it releases endorphins.

“People come when they’re not feeling very well. If they’ve had cancer, they come as alternative medicine. We have a lady who has dementia."

Ms Reddyhoff said singing had helped her recover from a heart attack about 18 month ago.

"It’s great for breathing," she said, promoting the benefits of singing.

Can't Sing Choir UK meets on Tuesday evenings at New Waltham Community Pavilion

To mark the choir's birthday, members were joined by the two other Lincolnshire Can’t Sing Choir UK groups.

One of the singers, Mark Bacon, 59, said: “I was never allowed to join a choir at school. We have a lot of fun and we have a lot of laughs. I get a lot of enjoyment out of it.”

Another member, Scott Bloomer, 49, said: “I love singing and I know I can’t. I am tone deaf but coming here, it doesn’t matter. Altogether we sound really good and I struggle with mental health so it’s a great thing for me.”

Bronia Sandell, 64, said: “I love singing but I’m rubbish. Whenever I’m out with friends, everybody tells me to shut up, but here I’m encouraged. I enjoy it and I’ve made lots of friends.”

Ms Reddyhoff encouraged anyone who enjoys singing to attend one of their weekly sessions.

"If you’ve had a bad day, and you come to choir, you always leave feeling great," she said.

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