Helping Todmorden Sing & Breathe group reach more people

Our Club has given a grant of £1,789.88 to Shared Harmonies CIC. The funding will help the organisation improve access to its weekly Sing & Breathe group in Todmorden, which supports people living with long-term respiratory conditions.

Shared Harmonies is a Community Interest Company based in Hebden Bridge. Since 2013, it has developed singing and wellbeing groups for people affected by conditions including chronic respiratory illness, Parkinson’s, dementia and Long Covid. Its approach brings together singing, breathwork and supportive social contact, providing participants with practical techniques as well as the opportunity to meet others who understand the challenges of living with a long-term condition.

The Todmorden Sing & Breathe group supports around 30 registered members, with approximately 25 people attending in a typical week. Sessions are led by an experienced singing-for-breathing practitioner and include structured breathing work, singing and peer support. The group is intended to help people manage breathlessness, improve confidence, reduce isolation and maintain a sense of connection with their community.

The Rotary grant will fund a package of equipment and training: an iPad, Bluetooth speaker, Zoom membership, a Zoom Q2n-4K video recorder with a specialist music microphone, and first-aid-at-work training for the practitioner. This will enable Shared Harmonies to provide hybrid sessions, allowing people to participate in person or online at the same time.

The ability to join remotely is particularly important for people with respiratory conditions. When a participant is experiencing an exacerbation of symptoms, has limited mobility or is unable to travel, they will still be able to take part from home rather than losing contact with the group. The equipment will also support the creation of recorded resources, online sharing of performances and the recording of participants’ stories and feedback.

Shared Harmonies works closely with health, local-authority and voluntary-sector partners, and its wider programme supports more than 200 people each week across its health and wellbeing groups.

We are pleased to support an organisation rooted in the local area that combines practical health support with the simple but powerful benefits of friendship, participation and shared music.

Click the link to read more about Shared Harmonies:  Corporate & Community Singing Wellbeing Workshops

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