Local choirs put vocal chords to the test for children’s charity

VivaVoices, a collective group of community choirs across Suffolk and Norfolk have raised a fantastic £1,048 this term for chosen charity, The Sick Children’s Trust.

On Monday 14 July the group held their fifth and final end of term concert at the Unitarian Meeting House in Bury St Edmunds, where their last collection for The Sick Children’s Trust was held. A choir member nominated the charity after her family stayed in the ‘Home from Home’ accommodation they provide. 

The Sick Children’s Trust provides free, high quality ‘Home from Home’ accommodation as well as emotional and practical support for families who have seriously ill children in hospital. The charity has nine houses based at leading children’s hospitals across the UK where families can stay just minutes from their child’s side.

Graeme Hopson founded VivaVoices in 2009 to provide fun singing groups for men and women of all ages regardless of prior singing experience. The local initiative now has a range of choirs across local areas; Bury St Edmunds, Attleborough, Newmarket, Stowmarket, Sudbury, Thetford and Wymondham.

Graeme, 33, said “We choose a different charity to support each term at VivaVoices and this term we were so pleased to be able to support The Sick Children’s Trust, a fantastic charity that works to keep families together when they need each other most.

Over 300 people attended our concerts and we are so grateful for all of the generous donations we received. We also held a singing day which was great fun; we had a whole day of learning songs from the 1960’s and then held a performance that evening where a collection was held. We hope that the money raised will help to keep the charity’s vital accommodation open.”

Zoe Morris, Community Fundraiser at The Sick Children’s Trust said “We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone at VivaVoices for raising such a fantastic amount for The Sick Children’s Trust. It costs us £28 to accommodate a family for just one night in our ‘Homes from Home’ so the money raised at VivaVoices’ end of term concerts will help us to accommodate many families who have seriously ill children in hospitals far from home. We are so grateful.” 

To find out more and sign up for VivaVoices please visit www.vivavoices.com or email Graeme Hopson at admin@vivavoices.com