ALL ABOUT OUR GOLDIES CHARITY
Now in its 17th year and more commonly known simply as “GOLDIES," our founder is the highly respected Bath-based musician Grenville Jones who recognised how singing and music, brightened the lives and wellbeing of the many people across his choirs. Grenville himself took the first daytime singing and activity sessions in sheltered housing community rooms in and around Bath back in 2007.
Since that time the work of the Charity has spread across England and Wales (GOLDIES Cymru).
Grenville is always anxious to point out that the charity he started, is NOT about choir singing, but sing-alongs to the popular
memory-evoking hits of the 50s onwards ..... SONGS and SMILES lie at the heart of all we do.
Sessions are taken by our dedicated freelance leaders in community rooms, church halls and libraries.
Since that time the work of the Charity has spread across England and Wales (GOLDIES Cymru).
Grenville is always anxious to point out that the charity he started, is NOT about choir singing, but sing-alongs to the popular
memory-evoking hits of the 50s onwards ..... SONGS and SMILES lie at the heart of all we do.
Sessions are taken by our dedicated freelance leaders in community rooms, church halls and libraries.
CHRISTMAS PARTIES 2025
What a fantastic time we had at all our Goldies Christmas parties ..... what better way to round off the year?!
Nailsea kicked off Goldies Christmas Party season for 2025 on 27th November at Nailsea Methodist Church. The event brought together Goldies North Somerset Sing&Smile groups and Goldies from Knowle.
They were treated to wonderful singing from the children of Kingshill Primary School and the lovely Jill Atkins from ‘Move It or Lose It’ had the Goldies moving in perfect time to seated exercises. Everyone loved it.
They were treated to wonderful singing from the children of Kingshill Primary School and the lovely Jill Atkins from ‘Move It or Lose It’ had the Goldies moving in perfect time to seated exercises. Everyone loved it.
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We moved onto Corsham on the 1st December to The Pound Arts Centre in Corsham combining both Goldies Corsham and Calne Sing&Smile sessions. The children from St Patricks Primary School entertained Goldies with their Christmas songs and brought along their school dog called Bear. The children not only sang beautifully but gave everyone Christmas cards and a small gift which was greatly appreciated.
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South Glos/Bristol was on 2nd December at St Michaels Church Centre. This was by far Goldies largest Christmas party with over 150 Goldies and 50 school children from St Michaels Church Primary School. The children shared a combination of Christmas songs and ones from ‘Madacascar’ which they are currently rehearsing. They also brought along ‘Boomwhackers’ like they did last year. These are long plastic tubes all different lengths and colours, producing a different note once you hit them (on your leg usually). Everytime your colour was displayed on a scrolling screen you tapped your Boomwhacker. They sounded fantastic and were greatly enjoyed by Goldies participants. Everyone left with a happy smile after a light lunch, teas and coffees.
On the 4th December it was Swindon Christmas Party at Coleview Community Centre. Swindon’s Mayor joined us and kindly helped serve teas, coffees, sandwiches, cake and enjoyed singing along to festive songs. Children from Covingham Park Primary School once entertained Goldies with their lovely festive songs and sang a few songs with us. The afternoon was finished with a huge raffle.
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The Essex party was on 5th December at Braintree Community Centre. The children from Beckers Green Primary School shared their seasonal songs with Goldies and Sue Edwards (one of Goldies Essex Sing&Smile session leaders) choir also delighted our Goldies with their festive songs. There was a selection of sandwiches, tea and cake as well as lots of singing from Goldies.
On the 8th December we hosted Salisbury Christmas Party at Salisbury Methodist Church. Goldies groups from Salisbury, Warminster and Downton all came together for the event. We were joined by the children from St Martins Church of England Primary School entertained everyone with some very beautiful singing! Goldies shared a few songs with the children and then were served sandwiches, tea and cake followed by more singing.
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The Conygre Hall, Timsbury, was the next venue which was on the 9th December for BANES Christmas Party. Goldies Wells group also came along. The Tabor Handbell ringers were amazing and Goldies sang along to all the festive tunes they played, it sounded beautiful. We were later joined by Radstock Folk Dancing who managed to entice lots of Goldies participants to join in with their dancing. Goldies participants certainly earned their lunch after all the entertainment!
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On the 10th December it was South Somersets Christmas Party held at The Henhayes Centre,Crewkerne,. We were lucky enough to be joined by Ilminster Ukulele Group, who certainly encouraged Goldies participants to join in singing along to their mixture of festive and non-festive songs! During a light lunch of sandwiches, tea and cake the Trinity handbell ringers from Street entertained. Unfortunately, due to illness they were several members short so Katie one of Goldies session leaders stepped in and helped meaning they could do a few more songs. The Children from Ashlands Church of England Primary School popped in after lunch. Not only did they sing seasonal songs beautifully, but they also signed them. Lots of fun was had by all.
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The 15th December saw Goldies Party at Newcourt Community Centre, Exeter for a wonderful afternoon of singing along to Christmas music, tea, cake and sandwiches.
On the 16th December, Axminster Guildhall, was the setting for the Christmas Party for Goldies Axminster Sing&Smile group, Seaton and Charmouth. This is Goldies first Christmas Party in Axminster! Axminster Town Cryer welcomed Goldies and kindly called the raffle after our exhausted Leaders lost their voices! Goldies were entertained by the wonderful Lyme Luggers Ukulele Group. Later children from St Mary’s Catholic Primary School entertained with their seasonal songs with a few parents and grandparents watching. Later there everyone enjoyed tea and cake.
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Goldies final Christmas Party of 2025 was held on the 18th December at Edwards Court, Exeter. Not only was there lots of singing, but everyone was served sandwiches, tea and cake.
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GOLDIES SWEATSHIRTS
In England there are now nearly 100 monthly Goldies' 'Sing & Smile' sessions taking place across B&NES, Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, East London, Essex, Gloucestershire, Mendip, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, South Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Swindon, Wiltshire and Yorkshire. Find out where your local group is by clicking HERE.
GOLDIES recognises the issues of loneliness amongst the increasingly older population. It gives vulnerable people a REASON to get out, to be with others, laugh, sing out, and to make new friends.
We ask everyone attending please to make a donation of £3 per session to help us sustain them and support our work
with older isolated folk.
Contact the office for more information on 01761 470006 or email [email protected]
There is a dedicated website for Goldies in Wales with full details of sessions and much, much more!
www.goldiescymru.org.uk
www.goldiescymru.org.uk
SONGS AND SMILES!
Lets pop in to the weekly Goldies Cymru session that takes place in Rhydypennau Library in Cardiff. Get ready to join in with the folks as they belt out “Sweet Caroline”.
This hugely popular weekly session is lead by Sue Thomas, our brilliant Goldies leader …. Goldies is good for you, it brings a smile to your face and there’s nothing better than a good old fashioned singalong.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
The Health and Wellbeing effect on elderly and isolated older people across England and Wales by the Golden-Oldies charity has resulted in considerable positive evidence and feedback. Recently, with National Lottery support, new daytime Sing & Smile ‘Goldies’ sessions have started in Wales in Conwy, in partnership with the local Borough Council’s Health and Wellbeing team. Now in 2024, recent evidence from a new session in Wales further underlines how the Goldies charity brightens lives and improves wellbeing. One attendee is an 89 year old lady who lives alone. This is what she told us …
“I suffer with COPD. I don’t go out often as I am left breathless and struggling to walk. I am on the Community Wellbeing Team mailing list and receive emails about sessions that are running. I had been looking for a number of years for a singing group, as I know singing is good for people with COPD. I have benefitted from the sessions greatly and, after was able to walk to the shop and walk home. I would have to stop to get my breath. However, after the session I was able to do this without stopping.”
For full details of Goldies sessions click here
“I suffer with COPD. I don’t go out often as I am left breathless and struggling to walk. I am on the Community Wellbeing Team mailing list and receive emails about sessions that are running. I had been looking for a number of years for a singing group, as I know singing is good for people with COPD. I have benefitted from the sessions greatly and, after was able to walk to the shop and walk home. I would have to stop to get my breath. However, after the session I was able to do this without stopping.”
For full details of Goldies sessions click here
GOLDIES LEADERS
We are always looking for new session leaders across England and Wales. If you would like to know more about being a Goldies session leader, then PLEASE, PLEASE contact the Goldies office, we would love to hear from you
- [email protected] or telephone 01761 470006
- [email protected] or telephone 01761 470006
WHY OUR WORK IS SO IMPORTANT
12% of older people feel trapped in their own home - 6% of older people leave their house once a week or less - Nearly 200,000 older people in the UK don’t get help to get out of their house or flat - 17% of older people are in contact with family, friends and neighbours less than once a week and 11% are in contact less than once a month - Over half (51%) of all people aged 75 and over live alone - 36% of people aged 65 and over in the UK feel out of touch with the pace of modern life and 9% say they feel cut off from society - Half of all older people (about 5 million) say the television is their main company - These statistics on loneliness and social isolation were taken from a report produced by the Campaign to End Loneliness.
Our Goldies Charity Shop is in Keynsham High Street, supporting our sessions in the Bath and North East Somerset area. Great bargains, special offers and much, much more... The next time you are in Keynsham, make sure you drop in to pick up a bargain. We welcome good quality donations and the shop telephone no is 0117 329 3910.
STUDY ON OUR GOLDIES CHARITY
A new Academic impact study was commissioned at the end of 2019 and the full report is now available (April 2020) This study was made possible the support of The National Lottery Wales and the Moondance Foundation. A number of Focus Groups took place and the conclusion statement includes a number of comments from those who attended. Here is just one of them: “It has totally changed my life. It brings me joy and peace. I struggled to cope with understanding the loss of my husband and found it hard to find any happiness. Goldies takes me out of depression and has helped me immensely.“
To access the full report CLICK HERE
To access the full report CLICK HERE
MORE GOLDIES NEWS ....
November 2025
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A slightly belated welcome to our new Goldies session leaders:
Essex, Rayleigh area - Pauline Alderton North Somerset - Becci Woolfries Yate area - Emily Baker |
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We're also fast approaching our first Goldies Christmas Party of 2025 on 27th November from 11am - 2pm at Nailsea Methodist Church 74 – 76 Silver Street, Nailsea, BS48 2DS. A light lunch of sandwiches, tea and cake while being entertained by the children of Kingshill Primary School and some chair exercise from "Move it or Lose it".
Lots of seasonal singing with Goldies own Sing&Smile Christmas music.
Lots of seasonal singing with Goldies own Sing&Smile Christmas music.
October 2025
Lots of spooky fun was had at Goldies Downton October Sing&Smile session!
September 2025
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Our fabulous Session Leader Katy Hawes hosted a concert in Warminster on the UN International Day for Peace, 21st Sep - Sing for Unity - A worldwide musical movement for unity, peace and community. This involved many local choirs and our fabulous Goldies attendees, who joined voices from every corner of the planet in song to send a powerful message: We are one world, one people and we stand together in unity and community.
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August 2025
Thank you to Keynsham Town Council who recently had their Grant Presentation evening Keynsham library attended by John Crick, Goldies Chairman.
Keynsham Town council kindly awarded Goldies the sum of £821 towards the costs of Goldies Sing&Smile sessions at the Key Centre, Keynsham, Goldies Christmas party for Keynsham attendees, and revamping Goldies Charity Shop in Keynsham High Street. |
Caitlin Brennan (Keynsham Town Council) and John Crick (Goldies Chairman)
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July 2025
What a fun afternoon we shared had at St Michaels Church Centre on 1st July. Goldies Stoke Gifford Sing&Smile session were joined by the children from St Michaels C of E Primary School for an afternoon of singing. We were treated to several songs sung by the children including one from Matilda the musical. We all joined together singing the ‘Forever Young’ song written especially for Goldies Intergenerational events, which was excellently accompanied by one pupil from St Michaels C of E Primary School on a keyboard. The school brought along Boomwhackers (long coloured plastic tubes each sounding a different note) which we had fun with playing ‘Believer’, it really did sound good!
June 2025
Wells Goldies raised the roof on 4th June in the little chapel at Bishops Palace. After a lovely light lunch of sandwiches, pies, strawberries and homemade cake in the Stable Yard, Wells Goldies were invited to sing in the little chapel. A few members of the public joined us and there was lots of singing and dancing in the aisles! A huge thank you to the Bishops Place for allowing us to use such a beautiful venue.
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May 2025
Goldies Sing&Smile sessions celebrated the 80th anniversary of VE Day (Victory in Europe marking the end of World War 2 on 9th May 1945) during May. There were memories shared along with wartime songs and even sandwiches, tea and cake.
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March 2025
Our wonderful South Somerset and Devon Leaders Jaine and Emma and several of our Goldies attendees were live on BBC Radio Somerset on Friday 28th March, as part of a special Dementia Awareness broadcast with Simon Parkin at the Memory Cafe at Yeovil Town Football Club. You can listen back on BBC Radio Somerset by clicking this link - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0kv9wbm?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile – Jaine and Emma’s interview can be found between 1:39 and 1:49.
This is a brilliant tribute to all the amazing Dementia support groups out there, our thanks to Jaine and Emma for a fabulous interview.
This is a brilliant tribute to all the amazing Dementia support groups out there, our thanks to Jaine and Emma for a fabulous interview.
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February 2025
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A slightly belated welcome to three new Goldies Sing&Smile session leaders: Sam Grief will be running several of Goldies Sing&Smiles in Bath, Dana Molony will run Goldies in Calne and Emma Walker will cover Devon, Dorset and North Somerset. We wish them all the best.
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Sam Grief
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Emma Walker
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January 2025
“Goldies long awaited new Song Book 2025 has arrived! It promises our usual mix of popular hits from the past but we have introduced a few more from the 80’s and beyond which we’re sure you’ll enjoy! Check out our website under “where” for a Goldies Sing&Smile session near you where you can try the new book.”
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Company Number: 6369123 - Charity Registration Number: 1121600
OSCR Number SC05 1241