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.

PRESS RELEASE
 
Monday 18 March 2018
 
Goldies goes Bollywood
   
They are the SING&SMILE charity reaching across South Wales with fun-packed daytime singing sessions for older people.
  
Starting on Thursday evening April 4 from 6-7pm a new Goldies Cymru session based on Bollywood music and dance will take place at Penylan Library in the community centre.
  
It is supported by the Cardiff-based Moondance Foundation and will be taken by Amruta Garud who is well known for her work with older people from the Indian community across South Wales.
  
Originally from India, Amruta moved to Cardiff 9 years ago. She is qualified and an experienced Indian Classical Music Teacher and an examiner. She believes music has no language other than love!
 
“Goldies” as it is more fondly known is NOT a choir but instead brings people together to sing the popular hits of the 50s and onwards through its increasing number of sessions across Wales and its award-winning schools intergenerational programmes.
  
Rachel Parry is Goldies Cymru programme leader, she said;
  
“We are delighted that Amruta has joined our increasing number of session leaders. We are hoping to introduce Bollywood sessions with her at many of our existing sessions in the months ahead.
  
”We are going to have some wonderful times dancing gently to Bollywood music and learning new steps. The music is uplifting and beautiful. Amruta is clearly very experienced and we are confident that these sessions will be extremely successful.”
  
For more information contact: Rachel Parry on 07796 714816 or e-mail rachel@goldiescymru.org.uk
 
ENDS
 
Originally from India, Amruta Garud moved to Cardiff 9 years ago. She is qualified experienced Indian Classical Music Teacher and an examiner. She believes Music has no language other than love!
 
Press enquiries to either Rachel Parry on 07796 714816 or Goldies Founder Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.

A FANTASTIC GOLDIES DAY OUT
​
Hundreds of our ‘Goldies’ headed for Port Talbot and the Princess Royal Theatre on Tuesday November 6th for our very special Goldies Day with a WW1 theme. This day was made possible with the support of the Big Lottery Fund in Wales and the Heritage Lottery. It was a day of songs and smiles with our Goldies Cymru session leaders led by Rachel Parry on stage leading the sing-alongs, the Ukulele Nights and the brilliant Central Primary School children on stage in the morning singing songs and reciting poems from 100 years ago.
 
Everyone was treated with a 45 minute performance on stage in the afternoon of the Armistice Cantata. This of course is the Goldies Award-Winning project from the children at Thornhill Primary School, Cardiff. Winners of the Education Category in the 2018 National Lottery Awards.
 
Another memorable day for Goldies Cymru and huge thanks to everyone including the team at the Princess Royal Theatre, together everyone contributed to a very special day as you will see from our pictures taken by Bill Savage.

PRESS RELEASE
 
Thursday November 1, 2018
 
The Golden-Oldies Charity was founded in Bath by Grenville Jones in 2007. Initially there were four daytime Sing&Smile sessions for older isolated people in Bath and Keynsham Community Rooms. Now, 11 years on, there over 160 sessions across England and Wales (Goldies Cymru) reaching out to thousands of people.
 
As the work of the charity has developed, session leaders have come forward to support the Goldies ethos. There are now over 60 freelance leaders from Bradford to Cornwall and Swansea to Southend.
 
As new sessions have been added many have in partnership with organisations supporting adults with learning difficulties. There has also been an increasing number, year on year, of attendees who are adults living with dementia or early stage Alzheimer’s. 
 
On Wednesday November 14 in the City of Bath where Goldies first started, a new pilot project will be launched. This will be a Memory Café at St Michael’s Church, in the centre of the city, financially supported by St John’s Hospital and working in partnership with St Michael’s Church and BaNeS Dementia Action Alliance.
 
Grenville Jones explains;
 
“Everyone is welcome at a Goldies session but as we have grown in recent years we have noticed that more and more people attending the session are in the early stages of dementia, a major issue and growing concern in society today. 
 
“This, our first Memory Café, is specifically designed for people living with dementia and their Carers to attend. The sessions will take place at St Michaels opposite Waitrose on the second Wednesday of every month and we hope that people across Bath & North East Somerset will spread the word to everyone who may be affected by dementia and who they feel could benefit from attending. 
 
“The songs have been specifically chosen and it is our hope that this will be the first of a number of Memory Cafes that the Golden-Oldies Charity will open in the years ahead. We are indebted to St John’s Hospital for their support of this new programme and the community spirit of Rev. Roger Driver and everyone at St Michaels.”
 
The Memory Café at St Michael’s in Bath takes place from 11.00am until 12.15pm and will be led by Steve Lawrence. Everyone is welcome and with the café open in the church, and there’s the chance to stay on for lunch after the session.
.
Goldies with Sir Cliff Richard has made remarkable progress since it started in 2007. Last month it received the accolade of Education Category winner in the prestigious National Lottery Awards, a WW1 schools intergenerational programme led by Grenville Jones and featured on BBC1. 
 
Last weekend its popular Goldies Cymru session in a Cardiff library was also in the spotlight on ITV and Scottish TV when a film was shown during an X Factor break and seen by millions.
 
For further details of the work of the charity, its sessions and projects, see www.golden-oldies.org.uk
 
ENDS
 
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.

MEDIA RELEASE
​25th October, 2018

Susanna Thomas, organiser of Goldies Cymru in Cardiff, honoured by
The National Lottery on primetime ITV
 
The National Lottery’s ‘Big Surprise’ will honour its first Welsh recipient this Saturday (27 September) – with Goldies Cymru’s much-loved organiser, Susanna Thomas, receiving a surprise visit from Robin Windsor of Strictly Come Dancing fame.
 
In a 90-second slot during an ad break on Saturday night primetime ITV, the National Lottery ‘Big Surprise’ honours individuals who have made a real difference with the help of National Lottery funding.
 
This week, Susanna’s story will receive national recognition with around five million people expected to tune in across the ITV network.
 
Goldies Cymru is part of the Golden Oldies charity which reaches out to brighten the lives of hundreds of older, isolated people across England and Wales. When Susanna, who is senior branch librarian at Rhydypennau Library in Cardiff, first heard about Goldies Cymru three years ago, she decided she wanted to set-up her own group using music to bring people together within her library’s local community.
 
For Susanna’s ‘Big Surprise’, The National Lottery worked with Susanna’s Goldies Cymru group to film the transformation of Rhydypennau Library into a glittering ballroom and had Strictly Come Dancing’s Robin on hand to spin Susanna around the dancefloor, in front of her cheering Goldies.
 
Susanna said: “It was all quite overwhelming, but by far the best bit of the surprise was seeing the Goldies all dressed up. People you see every week going to such an effort made me quite emotional.
 
“This was a wonderful surprise from The National Lottery and I can’t believe that so many people managed to keep such an exciting secret under wraps.”
 
Robin Windsor commented: “Dancing for me means joy and happiness so for Susanna to bring this into so many lives is a wonderful gift. It was fabulous to be able to surprise Susanna and thank her for all that she does for the elderly and vulnerable in her Cardiff community. I hope that Susanna and all her Goldies enjoyed the surprise as much as I did.”
 
Across Wales and the South West of England, Golden Oldies groups usually have to hire out the space they use for sessions, as well as paying people to lead them. However, Susanna was sure that a Goldies Cymru group would be a hit in Rhydypennau and convinced her bosses that hosting a Goldies group in the library would benefit the whole community.
 
Susanna said: “When I first contacted Golden Oldies, I never expected that a group would give me so much happiness, but it has been fantastic. Originally, we only had a few people joining our sessions, but thanks to word of mouth, we’re now up to 40 regular attendees and are still growing. There are so many new friendships made, it's been wonderful to be a part of it.”
 
Founder of Golden Oldies, Grenville Jones, said: “People often arrive at Goldies feeling a bit down, but after an hour with Susanna, they leave feeling revitalised. As soon as The National Lottery got in touch about the opportunity, we knew that there was one person who deserved such a special surprise. This group wouldn’t exist without her and it was great to be able to give her something back.”
 
Susanna’s ‘Big Surprise’ will air across the ITV network this Saturday (27 October) during the ad break in The X Factor. It is among 17 short films being shown throughout the year, during ITV’s primetime Saturday night TV schedule, to celebrate and showcase National Lottery funded heroes across the UK. The all-important Saturday night Lotto results will also continue to be delivered during the weekly slot.
 
Since 2011, Golden Oldies has received just over £600,000 of National Lottery funding which has gone towards running sing-along sessions for isolated, elderly people, as well as those with learning difficulties and dementia. In Cardiff, where Susanna hosts her weekly sessions, over £400 million of National Lottery funding has supported around 6,100 projects while in Wales over 50,000 projects have benefitted from funding, which has amounted to a total of over £1.7 billion.
 
Players raise, on average, over £30m for National Lottery-funded projects every week across the arts, sports, heritage, health, education, environment, charity and voluntary sectors. 
 
‘The Big Surprise’ is the continuation of the return of The National Lottery results to primetime TV through a commercial partnership with ITV (from 14 April 2018), and follows the success of ‘Race to the Numbers’ where members of the public were given the chance to win £10,000 at National Lottery funded venues across the UK.
 
For more information on National Lottery funding please visit:  www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk
 
For more information on Goldies Cymru please visit: www.goldiescymru.org.uk
 -Ends-
 
 
For further information, including to arrange interviews with Susanna Thomas, please contact Effective Communication, Camelot’s regional PR agency: Katherine Kennedy on: 02920 838314, email: kkennedy@effcom.co.uk or the Camelot Press Office: 0207 632 5711
 
Notes to Editors:
●      Camelot UK Lotteries Limited is the licensed operator of The National Lottery® and is committed to raising money for National Lottery Good Causes designated by Parliament. Camelot is not responsible for distributing or awarding these funds.
●       On average, Camelot generates around £30 million each week for National Lottery-funded projects. In total, £38 billion has now been raised and more than 535,000 individual grants have been made across the UK - the equivalent of around 190 lottery grants in every UK postcode district. The National Lottery has so far given away over £67 billion in prizes and created more than 5,000 millionaires or multi-millionaires since its launch in 1994.
●       For further information on Camelot, The National Lottery and its games, please visit: www.camelotgroup.co.uk and www.national-lottery.co.uk
●       Players of all National Lottery games must be aged 16 or over.

​PRESS RELEASE
 
Thursday, October 25, 2018
 
We WILL Remember Them
 
Keynsham will honour the 89 men who served in the First World War in a weekend of poignant commemorations starting on Friday morning November 9.
 
At 10.30am children from local schools and representatives of community organisations, including the Royal British Legion and the Town Council, will gather at the War Memorial at Keynsham Memorial Park. They will then walk to the Parish Church of St John’s for a one hour memorial service starting at 11.00am.
 
During the service there will be WW1 poems and readings as well as performances of WW1 songs by the children of Chandag Junior School and the Keynsham Good Afternoon Choir, led by Grenville Jones.
 
This is an open event which is being publicised widely across the town and a packed church is anticipated that morning. There will be over 120 children from Chandag Junior School and St John’s Primary School as well as 60 members of the choir and families representing those who gave their lives 100 years ago.
 
In recent weeks thousands of poppies have been knitted in a project led by Keynsham in Bloom. From that morning onwards the poppies will be draped from the tower of St John’s Church.
 
Two special WW1 medleys will be sung during the service. These are part of the Golden-Oldies Charity schools intergenerational programme which recently won the national accolade of Education Category winner in the 2018 National Lottery Awards. As well as being leader of the afternoon choir Grenville is the founder of the Golden-Oldies Charity which has two popular Sing&Smile sessions in the town and over 160 across England and Wales.
 
At the conclusion of the service 89 members of the audience (including school children) will bring forward wooden crosses as a mark of respect for those local men who served their town and country.
 
Our picture shows Grenville receiving the National Lottery award from celebrity soprano Katherine Jenkins in September.
 
Please note : if weather inclement everyone will go straight to the church for 11.00am.
 
ENDS
 
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.
 
 
 

PRESS RELEASE / PHOTO CALL
 
Monday, October 8, 2018
 
THE STEAM Museum will resound to the well-known tunes of 100 years ago at a WW1 commemoration this Wednesday October 10 opening at 11.00am.
 
Children from local schools and older people who attend the Golden-Oldies Charity Sing & Smile sessions across the town will remember the sacrifice of so many.
 
The Goldies Charity reaches out to older isolated people through its popular daytime Sing & Smile sessions across England and Wales. With the support of Swindon Borough Council there are 10 weekly sessions in sheltered housing community rooms which have been running for the last nine years. The charity also has an award-winning schools intergenerational programme which engages with primary school children. This year it is based on the popular songs of WW1.
 
In September ‘Goldies’ celebrated the news that they had WON the Education Category of this year’s prestigious National Lottery Awards.
 
The Mayor of Swindon, Cllr Junab Ali, will open the day at 11.00am with performances during the day of 100 years ago ‘Pack Up Your Troubles’, ‘It’s A Long Way To Tipperary’ and ‘Keep The Home Fires Burning’.
 
On Sunday November 11 this year the nation will commemorate the end of the First World War in 1918.
 
www.ourmemories.org.uk
 
ENDS

WELSH WW1 EDUCATION PROJECT IN NATIONAL LOTTERY TV PRIZE SURPRISE

Wales based project to receive a £5,000 prize and National Lottery Awards trophy from actor Michael Sheen on BBC One TV programme
 
The team behind a Welsh project which commemorates the centenary of the end of the First World War will be honoured as the nation’s favourite Education project at this year’s National Lottery Awards show broadcast on BBC One. 
 
At 11:10pm (BBC One Wales) on Wednesday 26 September, viewers will see the Armistice Cantata intergenerational education project by Goldies Cymru win a £5,000 prize at the star studded bash. The TV show, which is presented by Ore Oduba, features Welsh Hollywood film star Michael Sheen hand over a National Lottery Awards trophy to representatives from the Goldie’s Cymru charity and Cardiff’s Thornhill Primary school who delivered the pilot project. Documentary filmmaker Louis Theroux, actor David Morissey, Olympic Gold Medalist swimmer Rebecca Addlington and former world boxing champion, David Haye, were amongst the host of famous faces in the audience.

The National Lottery Awards 2018 TV programme will show a short film featuring a surprise visit from Welsh singing sensation, Katherine Jenkins.  The film showcases the inspirational work of Armistice Cantata, which has used National Lottery funding to run a two-year intergenerational education programme, marking 100 years since the end of the Great War (November 11 2018).

As part of the Armistice Cantata project, pensioners from the Goldies Cymru charity – which helps older people get involved in music – teamed up with youngsters from Thornhill Primary school in Cardiff, who have written a musical to celebrate the end of World War One. The children from the school appear on stage together in a 30-minute production named Armistice Cantata. The musical – which includes popular songs from World War One – is now being rolled out to a number of schools across England and Wales. More than 7,000 children and 800 older people from the Goldies charity are taking part.

Goldies Cymru will spend their £5,000 prize on extending their work with primary schools and older people in communities.

Grenville Jones, the Founder and Chief Officer of the Golden-Oldies Charitable Trust and Goldies Cymru in South Wales, lost his grandfather at the battle of the Somme in WW1. This personal history formed part of his decision to develop the WW1 inter-generational education programme.
 
He said: “I would like to thank everyone who voted for Armistice Cantata and our Goldies Charity. 
 
“It is vitally important that our younger children have an understanding of the First World War and how it has impacted on lives and communities to this day. I would like to say a big thank you to everyone involved. We are delighted to be crowned the UK’s best Education project in the National Lottery Awards. We will remember them.”
   
TV presenter and Strictly Come Dancing Champion, Ore Oduba, added:
 
“The National Lottery Awards celebrate the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects as voted for by the public.  It’s such an honour to be a part of a show which celebrates the inspirational people and projects who do extraordinary things with National Lottery funding.
 
Everyone who plays the National Lottery should be very proud to have supported these individuals and organisations – what they have achieved is truly amazing.” 
 
There are seven categories in the National Lottery Awards, reflecting the main areas of Lottery funding: arts, education, environment, health, heritage, sport, and voluntary/charity. Armistice Cantata beat off six other challengers in a public vote to win the Best Education Project. 
 
National Lottery players raise more than £30 million every week for projects across the UK.  The National Lottery Awards recognise and celebrate the difference that Lottery-funded organisations, both large and small, make to local communities the length and breadth of the UK.  
 
For more information go to www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards .  You can also follow the campaign on Twitter: hashtag #NLAwards. 
 
Ends
 
For more information and further images, please contact: Oswyn Hughes on 0292 067 8278 or email
oswyn.hughes@lotterygoodcauses.org.uk
 
PHOTO CAPTIONS:
 

1. Representatives from the Armistice Cantata project celebrating success at the National Lottery Awards 2018 with TV Presenter Ore Oduba
2. The glittering National Lottery Awards show, hosted by Ore Oduba, is on BBC One Wales at 11:10pm on Wednesday 26 September.
3. The show will feature Welsh Hollywood star, Michael Sheen, presenting the project with their Award
4. Earlier this month, Welsh singing sensation, Katherine Jenkins, surprised the project with the news they had won the Award by popping in unannounced to see one of the performances at Thornhill Primary School in Cardiff
5. The 2018 National Lottery Awards will be presented by Ore Oduba

PRESS RELEASE
 
Wednesday, September 19, 2018

The 2018 National Lottery Awards will be televised next Wednesday evening, September 26, on BBC1 in a show presented by Ore Oduba.
 
The prestigious Awards are across seven different categories, one being Education. These are selected from thousands of Lottery funded projects across the UK. This category has been won by the WW1 ‘Armistice Cantata’ from the Golden-Oldies sing and smile Charity.
 
‘Goldies’, as it is more fondly known, was started by Bath’s music man Grenville Jones in 2007. Grenville wanted to take fun singing to older isolated people in community rooms. From four initial sessions in and around the Bath and Bristol area the charity has now grown to the point where it runs over 160 across England and Wales.
 
The sessions take place in Yorkshire, the Midlands, Essex, across the South West of England and in South Wales under the Goldies Cymru banner.
 
Grenville introduced intergenerational projects in the early years of the charity encouraging schools to open their doors to older people in their communities. This year the theme was the final months of WW1. Grenville’s grandfather lost his life in the early days of The Somme. He says;
 
“I believe it is so important that younger children are aware of what happened 100 years ago. It is, of course, a very complex subject but through music and singing those much-loved WW1 songs such as Tipperary, I believe that they can come to have an understanding of how the years 1914-1918 made such an impact on our lives and communities today.”
 
As part of the Goldies intergenerational project this year Thornhill Primary School, Cardiff, worked with Grenville on the research and writing of a 30-minute production which could be made available to all schools to perform as part of their WW1 commemorations. ‘Armistice Cantata’ was selected for the UK National Lottery Awards and won the Education Category.
 
Grenville will receive the award on the show with Claire Holcombe, Head of Music at Thornhill Primary School. Claire led the project with the children’s choir at the school.
 
ENDS
 
Our picture shows Katherine Jenkins with Grenville Jones last week. Katherine made a surprise visit to Thornhill Primary School to announce the winner.
 
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.