PRESS RELEASE
Contact Grenville Jones on 07778 282934
10th March 2022
 
Goldies for Songs & Smiles!
 
The Golden-Oldies Charity has restarted its Sing&Smile sessions in England. ‘Goldies’ sessions are FUN social daytime activities, open to everyone, which aim to combat isolation with older adults. At Goldies sessions we sing-along to popular tunes by artists like our Patron Sir Cliff Richard, alongside Dusty Springfield, Elvis, Doris Day, Petula Clark and many more.
 
Prior to Covid, Goldies sessions took place across England and Wales. When they were forced to stop the Charity introduced GoldiesLive, online sofa-singing sessions for people to join in at home. GoldiesLive has continued for the past 18 months with sessions on Tuesdays & Thursdays, easily found on our website and YouTube every week.
 
Goldies founder, Grenville Jones said;
 
“We were very aware of the fact that many of the people who attended our daytime sessions prior to Covid lived lonely lives. If they were isolated before then Covid most certainly added to that loneliness. www.goldieslive.com has been fantastic at bringing the fun and the music into people’s homes during Lockdown.
 
“I am delighted that we are now able to bring back many of our daytime sessions with more in the months ahead. We will however continue with GoldiesLive sessions through to the end of this year, so we can keep on supporting those who remain at home.”
 
Over the course of the coming months ‘Goldies’ will continue to restart its former sessions and introduce new ones across England and Wales. If you are reading this and enjoy a good old sing-along to those well-loved hits of the 50s onwards, pop along to your nearest session, make friends and ENJOY. Goldies is a Registered Charity and do ask please for all those attending to make a £3 donation to our work so we can extend our sessions, reaching more older isolated people across the UK. The charity website is www.golden-oldies.org.uk.
 
Find your nearest monthly session here:
 
Bath & North East Somerset
 
•           1st Tuesday of each month - St Phillip's and St James Church, 35 Frome Road, Odd Down, Bath, BANES BA2 2QF – From 10.30am-11.30am
 
•           2nd Wednesday of each month - Conygre Hall, North Road, Timsbury BA2 0JQ – From 11.00am-12.00noon
 
•           Last Tuesday of each month – Victoria Hall, Avondale Buildings, Larkhall, Bath BA1 6RD – From 2.00pm-3.00pm
 
•           Last Friday of each month - The Key Centre Keynsham Methodist Church, Charlton Road, Keynsham, B&NES BS31 2JA - From 2:00pm-3:00pm
 
 
Bristol & South Gloucestershire
 
•           1st Tuesday of each month – St Michael’s Church Centre, The Green, Stoke Gifford, Bristol BS34 8PD - From 2.00pm-3.00pm
 
•           1st Wednesday of each month - St Mary’s Church, High Street, Shirehampton, Bristol BS11 0DW - From 10.00am-11.00am
 
•           1st Thursday of every month - Henbury & Brentry Community Centre, Machin Road, Henbury, Bristol BS10 7HG – From 11.00am-12.00noon
 
•           2nd Thursday of each month - St Werburghs Community Centre, Horley Road, St Werburghs, Bristol BS2 9TJ – From 11.00am-12.00noon
 
 
North Somerset, South Somerset & Mendip
 
•           1st Tuesday of each month - Clifton Court Community Room, Churchill Avenue, Clevedon BS21 6QS – From 10.30am-11.30am
 
•           1st Thursday of each month - Crowshute House, Crowshute Link, Chard TA20 2EZ – From 10.30am-11.30am
 
•           1st Friday of each month - Elim Connect Centre, Portway, Wells BA5 2BE – From 2.00pm-3.00pm
 
•           2nd Wednesday of each month – Bruton Methodist Church, Shute Lane, Bruton BA10 0BH – From 2.00pm-3.00pm
 
•           2nd Thursday of each month - Cleaveside Communal Lounge, Cleaveside Close, The Glebe, Queen Camel, BA22 7PR– From 2.00pm-3.00pm
 
•           2nd Thursday of each month - Millers Close Community Room, Millers Close, Pill BS20 0DX - From 2.00pm-3.00pm
 
•           Last Thursday of each month - Nailsea Methodist Church, 74-76 Silver Street, Nailsea BS48 2DS – From 10.30am-11.30am
 
•           Last Friday of each month – Ilminster Parish Hall, North Street, Ilminster TA19 0DG – From 2.00pm-3.00pm
 
 
Wiltshire & Swindon
 
•           1st Monday of each month - Pound Arts Centre, Pound Pill, Corsham SN13 9HX – From 2.00pm-3.00pm
 
•           1st Tuesday of each month – Abbeyfield House, Bratton Road, Westbury BA13 3EP - From 2.00pm-3.00pm
 
•           1st Thursday of each month - United Church Warminster, George Street, Warminster BA12 8QB - From 2.30pm-3.30pm
 
•           1st Thursday of each month - Coleview Community Centre, Towcester Road, Swindon SN3 4AS - From 2.30pm-3.30pm
 
•           2nd Monday of each month – Salisbury Methodist Church, St. Edmund’s Church Street, Salisbury SP1 1EF – From 2.00pm-3.00pm
•           2nd Friday of each month – The Marden House Centre, New Road, Calne SN11 0JJ – From 2.00pm-3.00pm
 
•           4th Wednesday of each month – Downton Memorial Hall, Downton, Salisbury SP5 3ND - From 10.00am-11.00am
 
 
Essex & East London
 
•           1st Monday of each month – Braintree Library, Fairfield Road, Braintree CM7 3YL – From 10.30am-11.30am
 
•           2nd Monday of each month - Havering Asian Social Welfare Association, Greenfields, Kilmartin Way, Elm Park RM12 5NB - From 1.00pm-2.00pm
 
•           2nd Tuesday of the month – Emmanuel Church, Main Road, Hawkwell SS5 4NR – From 2.00pm-3.00pm
 
•           3rd Monday of each month – Harlow Playhouse Theatre 2, Playhouse Square, Harlow CM20 1LS - From 2.00pm–3.00pm
 
•           3rd Wednesday of each month - Beaulieu Community Centre, Beaulieu Square, Chelmsford CM1 6AU – From 11.30am-12.30pm
 
•           3rd Friday of the month - George Hurd Community Centre, Audley Way, Basildon SS14 2FL – From 11.00am-12.00noon
 
•           Every Wednesday – Bollywood Goldies at Havering Asian Social Welfare Association, Greenfields, Kilmartin Way, Elm Park RM12 5NB – From 2.00pm-3.00pm
 
 
Staffordshire
 
•           Last Tuesday of each month - Uttoxeter Methodist Church Meeting Room, High Street, Uttoxeter ST14 7JQ – From 11.00am-12.00noon
 
 
Yorkshire
 
•           1st Tuesday of each month - St Peter's Methodist Church, Main Street, Crosshills BD20 8TF - From 2.00pm - 3.00pm
 
•           1st Thursday of each month - Cornerstone Methodist URC, Great Horton Rd, Great Horton, Bradford BD7 3ER – From 2.00pm-3.00pm
 
•           3rd Tuesday of each month - Steeton Methodist Church, Steeton, Keighley BD20 6TU – From 2.00pm-3.00pm
 
WATCH OUT for more sessions to be added soon.
 
If you want to know more call The Goldies office on 01761 470006.
 
ENDS
 
Image shows : Sing&Smile with the Golden-Oldies Charity.

PRESS RELEASE
 
Wednesday 2 March 2022
 
Songs&Smiles are back!
 
With Covid rules relaxed across Wales the popular Goldies Cymru Charity has announced that it is bringing back its Songs&Smiles fun daytime sessions for older isolated people. Prior to Covid Goldies Cymru sessions took place across South Wales. When they were forced to stop the Charity introduced its www.goldieslive.com sofa-singing sessions for people to join in at home.
 
GoldiesLive has continued for the past 18 months with sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays plus an additional Welsh-speaking monthly session.
 
Goldies founder, Grenville Jones said;
 
“We were very aware of the fact that many of the people who attended our daytime sessions prior to Covid lived lives that were lonely. If they were isolated before then Covid most certainly added to that loneliness.
 
“We work with many Wales-based organisations on the introduction of GoldiesLive and I am delighted that we are now able to bring back some of our daytime sessions with the intention of adding many more in the months ahead. We will however continue with GoldiesLive session through to the end of this year.”
 
Rachel Parry is the Programme Leader for Goldies Cymru which is supported by the Moondance Foundation who are based in Cardiff. Rachel said;
 
“We are delighted that our first popular Goldies Cymru daytime sessions are starting back again this month (March) after the pandemic-enforced break.
 
“If you enjoy a good old singalong to those well-loved hits of the 50s onwards, pop along to your nearest session, make friends and ENJOY. We are a Registered Charity and do ask please for all those attending to make a £3 donation to our work so we can extend our session reaching older isolated people across Wales.”
 
The sessions that are starting this month are:
 
RHYMNEY, GWENT at the Ael Y Bryn sports and community centre, Aneurin Terrace, Rhymney, Gwent, NP22 5DR on the Last Wednesday of the month from 12.00-1.00pm with Carol Pegler as session leader.
 
TREDEGAR at the Tredegar Library, The Circle, Tredegar, Gwent, NP22 3PS on the Second Tuesday of the month from 12.00–1.00pm led by  Carol Pegler.
 
BRIDGEND  St Theodore’s Church, High Street, Kenfig Hill, Bridgend, Glamorgan CF33 6DR on the Second Tuesday of the month from 11.00-12.00pm with session leader, Cheryl Davies.
CARDIFF in WHITCHURCH  at Ararat Baptist Church, Plas Treoda, Whitchurch, Cardiff, CF14 1PT on the First Monday of the month from 2.00-3.00pm with our session leader Geoff Ashford.
 
RHYDYPENNAU – CARDIFF Park End Church of Wales, Llandennis Road, Rhydypennau, Cardiff, CF23 6EG - This is A WEEKLY SESSION, EVERY Thursday from 10.30-11.30am with session leader Sue Thomas.
 
RHIWBINA – CARDIFF at Rhiwbina Library, Pen-y-Dre, Rhiwbina, Cardiff, CF14 6EH on the Third Wednesday of the month from 10.30-11.30am with Rachel Parry as session leader.
 
CARMARTHENSHIRE at NEWCASTLE EMLYN Holy Trinity Church Community Hall, Church Lane, Newcastle Emlyn, SA38 9AM  on the Last Monday of the month from 11.00-12.00pm with Claire Thomas as the session leader.
 
NEATH - PORT TALBOT a DEMENTIA SUPPORTIVE session at Tabernacle Chapel, 14 Thomas St, Pontardawe, Swansea SA8 4HD on the  First Thursday of the month from 11.00-12.00pm with Naomi Bishop as session leader.
 
THE VALE at DINAS POWYS,  please note - this is CLOSED TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC and is in partnership with with C3SC - Cardiff Third Sector Council Murchfield Community Centre, Sunnycroft Lane, Dinas Powys, CF64 4QQ sessions as requested with Rachel Parry​.
 
LLANTWIT MAJOR at Lantonian Hall, behind Llantwit Major Rugby FC, off Boverton Road, Llantwit Major, CF61 1TF on the Third Monday of the month from 10.30am - 11.30am with Geoff Ashford.
 
WATCH OUT for more sessions to be added soon.
 
If you want to know more call Rachel Parry on 07796 714816.
 
ENDS
 
Image shows : Sing&Smile with the Goldies Cymru Charity.
 
Press enquiries to Rachel Parry on 07796 714816.

PRESS RELEASE
 
Wednesday December 1 2021
 
GOLDEN Christmas sofa songs
 
When Covid forced the closure of the 220 popular GOLDIES Sing and Smile daytime FUN singalongs across England and Wales in March 2020, the charity then turned to the internet and launched “sofa singing” via Facebook and YouTube with twice-weekly sessions featuring all those popular Goldies songs of the 70s and onwards.
 
GoldiesLIVE.com sessions go out on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week and are led by two of the charity’s popular session leaders, Rachel and Cheryl. Last Autumn an additional Welsh language session was added, led by Sian. GoldiesLIVE.com sessions reach out to hundreds of people in partnership with many Age support groups, older persons organisations, retirement homes, Local Authorities and Town Councils.
 
The Christmas week brings all those well-loved melodies on GoldiesLIVE.com with a Christmas Special added on Christmas Eve. Says Rachel Parry, Goldies programme leader;
 
“This is such a lonely time for older people whose lives have been affected to an even greater degree by Covid. We hope that many will enjoy their Christmas with us and we want to reach out to tell everyone, especially the families and neighbours of isolated people and remind everyone that the sessions on YouTube can always be re-visited and enjoyed at any time.”
 
Across England the Goldies Charity has re-started some sessions with plans to increase through 2022, meanwhile in Wales, sessions are still not permitted although the Charity is ready to re-start as and when rules are relaxed. 
 
GoldiesLIVE.com has been made possible by the support of the National Lottery in both England and Wales, Postcode Community Trust and the Moondance Foundation in Wales.
 
ENDS
 
Image shows Rachel Parry and Cheryl Davies our GoldiesLive session leaders.
 
Enquiries to Goldies founder Grenville Jones 0777 828 2934 - jonesgrenville@aol.com

​PRESS RELEASE
 
Monday 28 June 2021
 
COVID Lockdown last March forced the daytime fun Singalong sessions from the Golden-Oldies Charity to stop.
 
From its West Country launch 13 years ago, ‘Goldies’, as it is fondly known, had grown to the point where it was running over 200 daytime sessions across England and Wales. Seventy dedicated freelance leaders led the sessions in Church Halls, community rooms and Libraries from Yorkshire to Cornwall, across England and through South Wales as Goldies Cymru.
 
The sessions brightened the lives of thousands of isolated older people. An academic study in February 2020 reported;
 
“The evaluation clearly shows that Goldies is making a significant contribution to reducing isolation and loneliness amongst the older population.”
 
With live daytime sessions ruled out the Charity then went Online with weekly ‘sofa singing’ sessions delivered by leaders Rachel Parry and Cheryl Davies.
 
www.goldieslive.com
 
Goldies founder Grenville Jones says;
 
“GoldiesLive.com initially started with one session each week but over the months we have grown to the point where there are now regular sessions broadcast on YouTube and Facebook each Tuesday and Thursday at 11am with an additional monthly session in the Welsh language from Sian Francis on the first Monday of each month (next Monday June 28).”
 
The sessions also feature Steph Bosanko who leads gentle chair exercises and many of the Goldies session leaders from England and Wales also contribute with inserted videos. Sarita Sood’s Bollywood sessions have become a favourite with GoldiesLive.com participants.
 
The sessions are supported by the People’s Postcode Lottery Community Fund and the Wales-based Moondance Foundation.
 
Rachel and Cheryl regularly feature special subjects for their audience and July will see the spotlight on songs focusing on families and melodies that celebrate the Summer including, of course, ‘Summer Holiday’ from the Golden-Oldies Patron himself, Sir Cliff Richard.
 
The Charity works closely with Public Health Wales, the Stroke Association, Dementia support groups and many Age UK groups who actively promote the sessions to their older clients.
 
The session are easy to access through YouTube and Facebook and the Charity is now looking ahead in the hope that one day soon it will be able to recommence its daytime live sessions.
 
However, the GoldiesLive.com sessions will also continue through to Spring 2022.
 
ENDS
 
Picture : All together now – Goldies brings songs and smiles to isolated older people.
 
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.
 

​When will we sing again?
 
As a respected choir leader and founder of the Golden-Oldies ‘Sing&Smile’ Charity, Grenville Jones has added his voice to the call for clearer Government guidance on the future of amateur singing indoors. 
 
Yesterday in the House of Commons Bath MP Wera Hobhouse asked this question.
 
Ms Hobhouse said; 
 
“Our wonderful choirs and choral societies exist across the country. Unlike professional organisations, amateur choirs are not allowed to rehearse in groups of more than six indoors, although the Covid risk is exactly the same. Does the current Government not recognise the contribution that voluntary organisations and amateur choirs make to society at large?
 
“In the West we have the Golden-Oldies Charity that uses singing to tackle loneliness and isolation amongst older people.”
 
The Golden-Oldies Charity, fondly known as ‘Goldies’ was started by Grenville Jones in Bath 13 years ago it has grown across England and Wales to the point, prior to Lockdown, that 220 fun daytime singalong sessions attracted hundreds of older people. These take place in Church halls, Libraries and community rooms. Everyone is welcome and attendees include adults with learning difficulties and those living with Dementia. 
 
The ethos is simple, to give those who live lonely lives fun events to look forward to with the accent firmly on the social benefits of being together.
 
Grenville has been associated with choirs for the last 30 years and prior to Lockdown was running 22 choirs across the West of England, seven of which he conducted himself each week.
 
Grenville said;
 
“Together with choir leaders and those involved in amateur music across the UK we are all looking ahead to June 21st with apprehension… will the relaxation of rules come into place that will enable us again to meet together indoors to sing?
 
“For myself, this not only means that my choirs can start to sing in the afternoon and evenings but it also means that we can restart our fun singalong sessions with the 60 freelance leaders that are at the heart of our Goldies Charity.
 
“These take place from Bradford to Cornwall and from Essex across to the whole of South Wales (Goldies Cymru).
 
“We all understand the health risks but, as Ms Hobhouse pointed out we ask why there are rules for professional singers but no regard for amateurs.
 
“Many thousands enjoy singing as a hobby and the effect on the wellbeing of those people cannot be underestimated. I know myself how desperate folk are to get back to their singing group again and we look to our Government to tell us exactly what the situation is.
 
“Hopefully this will be made clear within the next few days so we can again start to plan our rehearsals across the United Kingdom.”
 
Together with many others Grenville has taken to the internet these past few months. He has been leading Zoom singing sessions with two of his choirs each week as well as leading a pre-recorded Wednesday Online choir with over 300 members from across the World. 
 
The Charity launched www.goldieslive.com soon after the first Lockdown and there are now two weekly fun online sessions, accessed via YouTube and Facebook as well as a dedicated Welsh language session, once a month.
 
ENDS
 
Picture Caption …. All together again?
 

PRESS RELEASE
Thursday 13 May 2021
 
Goldies Cymru welcomes £12,000 boost to help people with dementia through music and song
 
The Goldies Cymru Charity is celebrating after receiving £12,000 to continue its musical services for people living with dementia. The money will enable the Cardiff-based charity to reach out through Songs and Smiles across South Wales for people suffering with dementia to support their wellbeing.

Goldies Cymru session leaders Rachel Parry (front) and Cheryl Davies who currently lead the online GoldiesLive weekly sessions.

The grant was received from Music for Dementia’s £500,000 Paul & Nick Harvey Fund, which was set up specifically to directly support musical activities for people with dementia*. ‘Goldies’ is planning to relaunch its fun daytime Sing&Smile sessions across South Wales in the Autumn for people living with dementia and introduce many new sessions.

Music for Dementia is a national campaign calling for music to be made accessible for everyone living with dementia. Music has a valuable role to play in enhancing quality of life for people living with the condition, and their carers. Research and lived experiences show that it can help reduce the often-distressing symptoms of dementia, such as agitation, apathy and anxiety.

Covid brought to a halt the live daytime sessions last March. These were then replaced with twice weekly GoldiesLive.com sessions through YouTube and Facebook. A monthly Welsh speaking version was added in May and hundreds enjoy singing and smiling on their sofas at home. The sessions also include gentle chair exercises, Bollywood dancing and much more.

Grace Meadows, Programme Director, Music for Dementia, said: “We are so delighted to be able to support Goldies Cymru and others across the UK with a grant from the Paul & Nick Harvey Fund. Musical services have been severely impacted in the last year, meaning many people living with dementia and their carers have lost those important connections and special moments that only music can provide.

“By directing the fund money towards community-based, musical services for people living with dementia and those that provide them, we are able to bring the joy of music into people’s lives wherever they are on their dementia journey.”

Grenville Jones, founder of Goldies said: “This wonderful support from the Paul & Nick Harvey Fund will help us to reach out through music to brighten the lives of many people, those living with dementia and their carers.
“You really can’t beat a good old fashioned singalong!”

* This fund was made possible by a kind donation from The Hunter Foundation to Paul & Nick Harvey who passed the money to The Utley Foundation for Music for Dementia
​
- ENDS -
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Grenville Jones is available for interview. Please contact him on 07778 282934.
 
About Paul & Nick Harvey
Paul Harvey is a former classical pianist and music teacher, now in his 80s, who lives with dementia. His spontaneous Four Notes composition, videoed by his son Nick, went viral across social media in September 2020; it was orchestrated by a BBC Philharmonic player and recorded by the BBC Philharmonic in October, then made available as a single. Music for Dementia was nominated by the father and son to receive half of the sales proceeds alongside Alzheimer’s Society.


About Music for Dementia
Music for Dementia, funded by The Utley Foundation, campaigns for people with dementia to have music as an integral part of their care whatever their circumstances. We are calling on the music industry, philanthropists, and the health and social care sectors to work together to make access to music for people living with dementia readily available.

PRESS RELEASE

 Thursday May 6, 2021

In March 2020 Lockdown and Covid meant that the daytime fun Sing&Smile sessions from the Goldies Cymru Charity had to be cancelled.

As “Goldies,” as it is more fondly known, could not go into Church and Community halls and Libraries, they introduced sessions online featuring two popular leaders, Rachel Parry and Cheryl Davies.

Over recent months the sessions have grown and now reach out to hundreds of older isolated people in their own homes. GoldiesLive has led the way on sofa singing!

The Tuesday sessions taken by Rachel follow popular ‘themes’ and in the weeks ahead will focus upon carers across Wales, Father’s Day, World Music Day and National Writing Day. The sessions will include inserted videos featuring a number of Goldies Cymru session leaders including Ray Mound and Rob Cadman from Essex and Carol Pegler and Sue Thomas in Wales.

A recent online addition has been the introduction of a monthly GoldiesLive session in Welsh led by Sian Francis. It features popular Welsh folk songs and is already attracting a large enthusiastic audience.

A brilliant new addition to GoldiesLive has also been the introduction of gentle chair exercises led by Steph Bosanko. Steph is a qualified Yoga teacher and says that her ‘main qualification’ is that she grew up in a residential care home, run by her Father, and that she started working there as a care worker at 14 and then went on to work in nursing homes for many years.

Ahead - on June 10 Cheryl Davies will celebrate her work with Bridgend Carers featuring their song requests and an inserted video of them singing. 

During Men’s Health Week on June 15 there will be an Essex special featuring two of our Essex session leaders, Rob Cadman and Ray Mound, singing songs by lesser known male artists from the 60s.

Sarita Sood will be back in July with her amazing Bollywood dance moves and another session that everyone will be looking out for will take place on July 6 when Rachel will feature songs that require a feather boa to sing!

“Everyone is welcome to join the weekly sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with Sian on the first Monday of the month. They are broadcast on both YouTube and Facebook and can of course be re-viewed at any time from the website,” says Goldies charity founder Grenville Jones.

ENDS
Image shows GoldiesLive online leaders Rachel (front) and Cheryl
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.

PRESS RELEASE
 
Thursday April 22 2021
 
Last year in March, Covid Lockdown meant that the daytime fun Sing&Smile sessions from the Goldies Cymru Charity had to be cancelled. 
 
As Goldies, as it is more fondly known, could not go into Church halls and Libraries, the charity introduced sessions online featuring two popular leaders from Wales, Rachel Parry and Cheryl Davies.
 
Over recent months the sessions have developed and now reach out to hundreds of older isolated people in their own homes. GoldiesLive has led the way on sofa singing!
 
A recent addition has been the introduction of a monthly GoldiesLive session in Welsh led by Sian Francis. This features popular Welsh folk songs and is already attracting a large enthusiastic audience.
 
The next session is on Monday May 3 from 11am – with easy access through www.goldieslive.com
 
Sian was born in the South Wales valleys and now lives in Cardiff with her husband and two children. Sian has had a love for music since an early age. She grew up competing in Eisteddfodau and in local musical theatre productions. She has a passion for Welsh language music and is very excited to lead her monthly sessions with Goldies. 
 
A brilliant new addition to GoldiesLive has also been the introduction of gentle chair exercises led by Steph Bosanko, a qualified Yoga teacher.
 
Ahead, on June 10 Cheryl Davies will celebrate her work with Bridgend Carers featuring their song requests and an inserted video of them singing. 
 
Men’s Health Week is in focus on June 17.
 
Sarita Sood will be back in July with her amazing Bollywood dance moves and a session that everyone will be looking out for will take place on July 6 when Rachel will feature songs that require a feather boa to sing!
 
Everyone is welcome to join www.goldieslive.com weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with Sian on the first Monday of the month. They are broadcast on both YouTube and Facebook and can of course be re-viewed at any time from the website.
 
ENDS
 
Picture shows Sian Francis.
 
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.
 

PRESS RELEASE
 
Wednesday April 14, 2021
 
When Covid forced cancellation of all live daytime singing sessions the Goldies Charity then introduced regular online sessions for people to enjoy in their own homes.
 
GoldiesLive has progressed over the months and there are now two sessions each week on a Tuesday and Thursday, led by session leaders Rachel and Cheryl. Gentle chair exercises have been added and the sessions regularly include inserted videos of the session leaders who previously took the daytime sessions.
 
Special guest on Tuesday May 4 is Alison who, prior to Lockdown, led a number of Goldies sessions across Swindon in partnership with Swindon Borough Council. Alison will feature as the special guest on May 4 with her pet Labradoodle ‘Noodle’ who was a big favourite with all of the folk at the sessions taken by Alison.
 
“We are delighted that Alison is again going to be part of our GoldiesLive session. She has made a number of appearances in past months and I know that all of our Goldies watching on their sofas in Swindon will be delighted to see her.
 
“We are hoping that one day soon we will again be able to introduce our daytime sessions across Swindon and eagerly await the day that that might happen,” said Grenville Jones, founder of the Goldies Charity.
 
Watch GoldiesLive either on YouTube or Facebook each week, it’s easy just go to www.goldieslive.com
 
ENDS
 
Picture shows Alison with her pet Labradoodle ‘Noodle’.
 
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.

PRESS RELEASE
Thursday 18 February 2021
 
St David’s Day launch for Goldies Cymru singing online in Welsh
 
A new online singing session in Welsh will be the next development from the Goldies Cymru Charity.
 
When Covid forced closure of all live daytime sessions across South Wales, the Charity’s positive response was to go online with regular www.goldieslive.com fun Sing&Smile sessions last Spring. These then grew to be twice weekly at 11am on Tuesdays and Thursdays taken by two popular Goldies Cymru session leaders, Rachel Parry and Cheryl Davies.
 
Grenville Jones is the Goldies founder. He said;
 
“Our Charity brings joy to older isolated people through good old-fashioned fun singalongs. If our work was important prior to Lockdown then the added increase of isolation makes our work vital. Older folk obviously could not attend any more our 60 daytime sessions across Wales and so we took our sessions to them in their front rooms, Sing&Smile on your sofa!”
 
Through last year sessions developed with the introduction of screen words, Bollywood songs and inserted public health information videos and gentle chair exercise. Many age-support organisations and residential homes have promoted the twice weekly www.goldieslive.com sessions that are available on YouTube and Facebook.
 
On Monday March 1, St David’s Day, Goldies Cymru will introduce new monthly sessions in the Welsh language, taken by Sian Francis, accessible from 11am. These have been made possible by the support of the Moondance Foundation.
 
Sian was born in the South Wales valleys and now lives in Cardiff with her husband and two children. She has had a love for music since an early ago and grew up competing in Eisteddfodau and in local musical theatre productions. Later in life she went on to complete a BMus from Goldsmiths University where she studied Classical Music and Opera. She also spent many years working as an entertainer onboard cruise liners. 
 
She has a passion for Welsh language music and is very excited to start her sessions with Goldies. 
 
Sian said;
 
“I’m looking forward to singing with older people across Wales and over the months ahead I will be using some of our wonderful Welsh melodies as well as introducing some new ones.
 
“Please join me on St David’s Day.”
 
ENDS…
 
OUR photo shows Sian Francis.
 
Press enquiries to Rachel Parry, Programme Leader for Goldies Cymru, call 07796 714816 or email rachel@goldiescymru.org.uk