Freshwater & Yarmouth Class Charities 2023-2024

YR – MacMillan

Y1 – The Lifeboat

Y2 – Wildheart Foundation

Y3 – Children in Need

Y4 – Wateraid

Y5 – Foodbank

Y6 – Mountbatten Hospice

Dementia Friendly Choir

Each week during term time a small group of children from years 5 and 6 go along to Freshwater Methodist Church to attend the West Wight Dementia Friendly Choir. It is an absolute pleasure to take the children each week, not just because of their enthusiasm and great behaviour, but also to see the effect their presence has on the choir members. Some weeks, especially after a school holiday, you can hear the whisper of” The children are here,” going around the church and we see the welcoming smiles of the choir  members and volunteers.
As well as joining in with the singing and helping with refreshments, the children are often called upon to perform some actions or dancing at the front to accompany the singing. The choir sings a wide variety of songs, ranging from traditional folk songs to 1950’s and 60’s pop music and numbers from well known musicals. Many of these songs are not familiar to the children, but they do their very best to join in. One song in particular, however, was both well known and very popular with the children – ‘Sweet Caroline’ – now associated with the England football team. The children even taught the choir (needing very little encouragement!) to add the ‘Ba ba ba’ and ‘so good, so good, so good’ at
the appropriate time!
Music is so important for people with dementia as it reaches the part of the brain associated with memories which they might otherwise find difficult to access. Going along with the children is such a lovely, positive way to connect with our local community and is something we’re looking forward to continuing in September.

‘The dementia choir has a wonderful atmosphere to it. The children of year 5 and 6 love going to the choir and leave feeling happy and excited to go again. At the moment in the choir we have been singing songs by Mary Poppins, one of our favourites being Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. People at the choir are really kind to us and very helpful. At the break we help hand round the snacks and sit with the people, talking about all the things we have been up to. When we are singing we have instruments like maracas, bells and mini drums. We are so grateful for this opportunity.’

By Annie & Summer