PRESS RELEASE
Thursday 16 May 2019
 
More Songs – More Smiles
 
“I don’t know what I would do without Goldies. It keeps me going, it really does.”
 
That’s just one of the 100s of comments from one elderly lady who loves attending her Goldies sing-along session. 
 
NOT a choir, the Golden-Oldies Charity, now in its twelfth year, reaches out to older isolated people across England and Wales. From the initial four sessions taken by founder Grenville Jones, in and around Bath, there are now over 60 dedicated session leaders and, by the end of 2019, there will be at least 200 regular FUN daytime Goldies sessions.
 
With the support of many Trusts, Foundations and local supporters many new sessions will be added in the months ahead.
 
In Swindon, with the support of the Borough Council, there are a number of regular sessions and a new monthly group tuned-up on Thursday May 16 at the Toothill Community Centre in Swindon. On that same day another new session started in Bath at the Salvation Army coffee shop in Green Park. 
 
Across the South West; new leader Becky takes over Calne Goldies group and will soon launch two new Wiltshire sessions. In Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire four new groups will start next month.
 
Additional sessions are being held with the Clevedon Happy Companions Club in North Somerset and Chard Library in South Somerset.
 
In Bath & North East Somerset a Memory Café in Bath was recently started at St Michael’s Church in the City Centre. There are also two new sessions at Church Court, Midsomer Norton and Kingfisher Lodge Care Centre in Saltford.
 
In Bristol a Goldies Day took place in April with over 100 people at St George, Bristol. Still in Bristol, two introductory sessions are planned for May and June at Stoke Bishop. Sessions are also planned for Bedminster and Patchway to raise the profile of the charity across the City. 
 
A recent academic study of the work of the Golden-Oldies charity concluded;
 
“Goldies is very important in bringing isolated people in the community together, especially those who live on their own. By attending a session 93% of participants said they feel more involved in knowing their community.” 
 
Heading South, in Devon Goldies is supported by Exeter City Council and the Darlington Charitable Trust, with plans for many additional sessions in the coming months working in partnership with Age Concern.
 
Goldies recently expanded into Cornwall where sessions now take place at eight Memory Cafes. More are planned by the close of 2019.
 
In Yorkshire more daytime singing is planned with a recent new addition in Eldwick and more to follow. 
 
Goldies sessions have been taking place in the Midlands for the last five years. With special thanks to Doveridge PCC Goldies continues to develop across Staffordshire and Derbyshire with a new session launched recently in Rugeley.
 
With the support of The Mercers’ Company, Essex County Council and the Essex Community Foundation the Goldies Charity is developing its work across North East London and the county of Essex. New sessions in Clacton, Harlow, Chelmsford, Rayleigh, Dunmow, Tiptree, Maldon, Canvey Island, Hawkwell and Southend will tune-up soon.
 
IN WALES…
 
Goldies Cymru was launched by Grenville Jones seven years ago, it has made tremendous progress with the support of the Cardiff-based Moondance Foundation and with major grants from the Wales National Lottery Community Fund and Wales Heritage Fund.
 
By the end of 2019 there will be 70 sessions across South Wales with plans to extend and introduce more sessions in North Wales in 2020. There are 18 dedicated session leaders in Wales.
 
Recent new sessions in Wales include Cowbridge, Newcastle Emlyn, Swansea Central Library, Porthcawl, Llanishen Hub - Cardiff and Lampeter. We have recently started working with LLandough Hospital in The Vale of Glamorgan on the Elderley Persons Ward as well as The Dementia Unit.
 
A new popular Bollywood session in Cardiff has started. Goldies Cymru has close links with the Stroke Association and the National Institute for the Blind and brings Songs and Smiles to increasing numbers of community Libraries.
 
Goldies also has an award-winning primary schools intergenerational programme. It won the Education Category of the National Lottery Awards in 2018, an amazing achievement for a small charity. Later this year Goldies will launch its new primary schools heritage project called, ‘Back to School’.
 
“As we have developed over the years our growth has included sessions for adults with learning difficulties as well as addressing the memory-evoking importance of music and singing to those who are living with Dementia.
 
“We owe a huge vote of thanks to all those organisations who have financially supported our journey and look forward to hitting the 300 Goldies session target by the end of 2020,” said Founder Grenville Jones.
 
ENDS
 
Photo Caption : Reaching out to older people with Songs & Smiles – Goldies.
 
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.
www.golden-oldies.org.uk
 

PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday May 1, 2019
 
Meet Noodle the Goldies Labradoodle!
 
A very special 10th birthday will be celebrated in Swindon on Thursday May 16. The Golden-Oldies Charity, more fondly known as ‘Goldies’, started in the Town 10 years ago.
 
Venue is Toothill Community Centre, Village Centre, Swindon SN5 8DH from 10.30am-12.00pm.
 
Goldies is all about fun daytime Songs & Smiles for older people, many who may live in isolation. Based on the popular memory-evoking songs of the 50s and onwards, Goldies sessions have grown across Swindon in the past 10 years supported by Swindon Borough Council.
 
Many are led by Alison Dawn, a well-known local singer whose devotion to the charity has paid a great part to its progress. Alison has a very supportive helper – her Labradoodle called Noodle – who the folk attending all the sessions love to see when he arrives with Alison to take each session.
 
Apart from daytime weekly sessions in sheltered housing community rooms there is also a monthly sing at Coleview Community Centre on the first Thursday of each month from 10.30am-11.30am. The new monthly session will be at the Toothill Community Centre on the third Thursday of each month from 10.30am-11.30am.
 
Grenville Jones is the founder of the Goldies Charity, born and bred in Swindon himself he has taken the charity on its exciting journey to the point where today it runs nearly 200 Sing & Smile sessions across England and Wales as well as an award-winning schools intergenerational programme. He is a regular face on TV, most recently as one of the ‘100’ judges on the BBC Saturday night ‘All Together Now’ series.
 
There will be over 190 Sing & Smile sessions across England and Wales by the end of 2019.
 
Grenville says;
 
“Alison is one of our brilliant session leaders. The folk attending the session simply love to go along and they always make a fuss of Noodle who has become very much part of our Swindon Goldies team – yes he’s a definitely a Goldies Labradoodle!”
 
Alison added;
 
“Our sessions give the folk something to look forward to, a week can be a very long time in a lonely life. By bringing everyone together regularly friendships & bonds are strong, this is so important for older folk. The opportunities to make friends & enjoy  company lessen with age.
 
“Many things we take for granted as younger able people. If you imagine for a moment all the daily opportunities we have to socialise being gone, you will realise how extremely important our sessions are to our Swindon Goldies. My weekly sheltered accommodation sessions are in particular a lifeline to many of the attendees.
 
“And Noodle has made so many new friends!”
 
ENDS
 
Image shows Alison Dawn with her Labradoodle, Noodle.
 
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.
 
here to edit.