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.

Armistice Cantata beat off competition from 700 entries to win £5,000 cash prize and an iconic National Lottery Awards trophy and will have its work celebrated on a special BBC One programme to be broadcast on the 26 September.

Welsh singing sensation Katherine Jenkins today (September 12th 2018) surprised Cardiff-based project, Armistice Cantata, with the news that they have won Best Education Project in the National Lottery Awards 2018. 

The mezzo soprano broke the news of the win to pupils at Thornhill Primary School in Cardiff, who piloted the intergenerational education project with Goldies charity founder Grenville Jones which commemorates the Centenary of the end of WW1 (November 11 2018)!

The National Lottery Awards are the annual search for the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects and celebrate the inspirational people and projects who do extraordinary things with National Lottery funding. Marking 100 years since the end of the Great War (November 11 2018), Armistice Cantata is part of a two-year intergenerational education project led by Grenville and his Goldies charity that encourages primary schools to open their doors to older people.

As part of the programme, from Goldies Cymru – which helps older people get involved in music through daytime FUN Songs and Smiles – 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 Thornhill Primary 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.

Katherine, who has been hailed as the new ‘Force’s Sweetheart’, has performed for British troops in war zones across the world over the years. She followed the announcement today by meeting school pupils and representatives from the Goldies Cymru charity who have developed a new friendship by taking part in the Armistice Cantata project whilst learning more about the Great War. Katherine releases her new album ‘Guiding Light’ on 30th November. 

Katherine, from Neath, South Wales, who has been dubbed new ‘Force’s Sweetheart for her performances to British troops across the globe, said: “I’m delighted to announce Armistice Cantata as the winner of the UK’s Best Education Project in the National Lottery Awards 2018. It’s thanks to National Lottery players, who raise £30 million each week for good causes, that amazing projects like this are possible.  

Grenville Jones, the Founder 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 added: “I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who voted for us. We are delighted to be crowned the UK’s best Education project in the National Lottery Awards.   

“This is a remarkable project and it is very special because it can be adapted by schools who wish to localise their own productions. We have seen on so many occasions the joy that comes when children and older people meet together on school projects, especially when they are joined in song.”
 
The Goldies school project website is          www.ourmemories.org.uk




                                                                               ENDS
For further information please contact Grenville Jones on 0777 828 2934 or The National Lottery Awards:
Oswyn Hughes on 07976 324 179 or email oswyn.hughes@Lotterygoodcauses.org.uk
PICTURE CAPTION: 
Welsh singing sensation, Katherine Jenkins, crowns Armistice Cantata the National Lottery’s Best Education Project.  
 
 

PRESS RELEASE
 
Thursday September 13, 2018
Celebrate and Commemorate
 
ON Sunday November 11 this year the nation will commemorate the end of the First World War in 1918. A special event will take place on Monday morning October 1 at Chelmsford Museum bringing together school children and older people at the launch of a unique exhibition.
 
The Goldies Charity reaches out to older isolated people through its popular daytime Sing & Smile sessions across England and Wales. The charity also has an award-winning schools intergenerational programme which this year is based on commemorating WW1. Last evening, September 12, Goldies celebrated with the news that they had WON the Education Category of this year’s prestigious National Lottery Awards. They will feature in the BBC1 special awards programme on Wednesday September 26.
 
Children from Springfield Primary School have been working together with Chelmsford Museum on a project which has involved research into Chelmsford’s links with those who served in The Great War. The children’s work will be on display at the museum and this will be officially opened on Monday October 1 at 10.00am.
 
Headteacher at Springfield Primary School Jacquelyn Pick said;
 
“It is vitally important that children of today understand the impact that was made by those who served 100 years ago. Included in our project work has been the learning of popular WW1 songs which we will be performing at the exhibition opening and also to our parents at a special Armistice Cantata. The children’s English and art work this term has been based on WW1 and they have thoroughly enjoyed finding out about the uniforms, an individual Essex Regiment soldier, the role of women in the war and lots more beside.”
 
Nick Wickenden is Chelmsford Museum’s Senior Curatorial Consultant, he added;
 
“The children from the school have come into the museum to look at some of the artefacts that we hold here. From September 29ththrough to November 11 we will be displaying many of them for the public to see, including the personal effects of two young Essex soldiers who died on the Somme.  Some 9,000 officers and  men from the Essex Regiment gave their lives during the First World War, including over 400 from Chelmsford alone, and we hope that many of their descendants will be able to come to the museum to see the exhibition during this time.”
 
The exhibition will be opened by Major Peter Williamson, Chair of Trustees of the Essex Regiment Museum. Also attending will be The Mayor of Chelmsford, Cllr Yvonne Spence, many of the older people who attend the ‘Goldies’ sessions around the city as well as member of the British Legion and other invited guests. The founder of the Goldies Charity, Grenville Jones, will also attend on October 1.
 
www.ourmemories.org.uk
 
ENDS
 
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.
 

​PRESS RELEASE
 
Images shows Thornhill children with the vote telephone number
And Vote for Us image, with chidren
 
WEDNESDAY 11th  July 2018
 
Children from a Cardiff primary school are celebrating after being nominated as the only Wales school in the National Lottery Awards 2018 categories, just announced.
 
The Awards cover seven categories in total from Arts to Heritage, including Education. Across all the categories there are 49 UK nominated projects. The WW1 commemoration Armistice Cantata in the Education category was written by pupils at Thornhill Primary School Cardiff as part of the Goldies Cymru charities schools intergenerational programme.
 
Thornhill Primary have a long association with Goldies Cymru. Deputy head Liz Berry explains;
 
“We love the work they do, brightening the lives of older isolated people and have held a number of events at our school inviting older folk from our local community as well as the grandparents of our children.”
 
‘Goldies’, as it is more fondly known, runs daytime fun sing and smile sessions across South Wales. Its intergenerational projects have linked with many schools and last year founder Grenville Jones approached Thornhill with his ideas about commemorating the final months of WW1. He explains;
 
“I met with Liz Berry and Claire Holcombe, their brilliant music teacher. Over a six month period the children from the School Choir researched and wrote the words and songs to Armistice Cantata. There were visits to local museums to help children with research and the seven songs including in the Cantata are all popular melodies from 100 years ago with new words originated by the children.
 
“There’s also narration based on a grandma character who takes mementoes out of her treasure box of 100 years ago. Each treasure introduces a new song.”
 
“Everyone at Thornhill Primary is now working hard to encourage everyone to vote as the awards are based on  public support to the National Lottery Awards website, by telephone or by social media,” said Liz Berry.
 
“We are pulling out all the stops and our children are buzzing with excitement. Everyone at Thornhill is very proud of our nomination and we are also delighted that Armistice Cantata is available across the UK and many other schools will be performing it in the months leading up to November 11, 2018.”
 
The development and growth of Goldies Cymru has been supported by the Big Lottery Fund in Wales and their intergenerational WW1 project is possible through the Heritage Lottery Fund.
 
Final word goes to Sir Cliff Richard, Patron of the Goldies Charity, he said;
 
“We reach out and bring together children with older people in their local communities through our schools programme. Armistice Cantata is a brilliant production researched and written by talented children from Thornhill Primary School, Cardiff.  
 
“To be nominated as one of the Education projects in the National Lottery Awards 2018 is a tremendous accolade and we are asking everyone who supports our work to vote either online, by telephone or through Twitter for Armistice Cantata. 
 
“Please help us to win this award.”
 
 
ENDS
 
www.ourmemories.org.uk
 
www.golden-oldies.org.uk
 
Media enquiries to Liz Berry at Thornhill Primary School on 029 2075 1302
 
or Grenville Jones Goldies founder on 07778 282934.
 

PRESS RELEASE
 
Wednesday 27 June 2018
​
Picture shows members of the Bath Curtain-Up Theatre Group with a Lottery phone number reminder.

A Bath-based charity that started in and around the city 11 years ago now reaches out to 1000s of older people across England and Wales. Today – June 27- it is celebrating after being nominated in a prestigious national education competition.
 
The four initial daytime Golden-Oldies, “Goldies” sessions in 2007 were taken by founder and Bath music man Grenville Jones. Now in 2018 there are over 150 daytime SING & SMILE sessions and 59 freelance leaders from Yorkshire to Cornwall and Essex across to Swansea.
 
Part of the charities development has been with projects that encourage schools to open their doors to older people. The latest one is based on the 100 year commemoration of World War One as the nation looks ahead to the Armistice in November. This Goldies programme is supported by the Royal British Legion and the WW1 Heritage Lottery Fund.
 
As part of the programme Grenville Jones commissioned a 30 minute production of words and music called Armistice Cantata, researched and written by primary school children for UK schools to perform.
 
Today – June 27 – National Lottery Awards has announced that it has been selected from 700 other projects in the Education Category 2018 Awards.
 
Grenville is over the moon with the news. He has a personal interest in the history of WW1, his grandfather William Henry Jones lost his life aged 24 in the early days of the Somme. He said:
 
“Armistice Cantata has narration and songs based on the popular melodies of 100 years ago. It was written by children at Thornhill Primary in Cardiff and early in June young people from the Curtain Up Theatre here in Bath, performed it to an audience of over 1000 at The Forum..
 
“The children worked on the project for 6 months and research include visits to WW1 Archives to see memorabilia and letters and find out more about the men who went to war.
 
“There are 7 songs and groups of children composed the lyrics for each one.  They then worked on the narration script and the moving images that form the backdrop to the 30 minute production. It is brilliant.”
 
Sarah Carter from Curtain Up said;
 
“Our students found the whole experience of learning and performing Armistice Cantata a very moving one, some of them had little knowledge of the First World War and through the Cantata they certainly now have a much clearer understanding about how this War of 100 years ago has meaning to their lives today.”
 
Ian Dewey is Goldies Trustee chairman;
 
“This is a remarkable National Lottery funded project which has bridged the generations in commemorating those who served during the First World War. Armistice Cantata is very special because it can be adapted by UK schools who wish to localise their own productions. There are also opportunities to include local choirs, something of course that is very close to Grenville’s heart.
 
“We have seen on so many occasions the joy that comes when children and older people meet together on school projects, especially when they are joined in song. We’re hoping that all our supporters will vote for Armistice Cantata to be named the UK’s Best Education project.”
 
Voting can be on line
 
www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/project/armistice-cantata
 
The project has a dedicated phone number       0844 836 9678
 
 
For the duration of the campaign, the project also has its own unique hashtag. It is   #NLAArmisticeCantata
 
Final word goes to Sir Cliff Richard, Patron of the Goldies Charity. He said,
 
“We reach out and bring together children with older people in their local communities through our schools programme. Armistice Cantata is a brilliant production researched and written by talented children from Thornhill Primary School, Cardiff.
 
“To be nominated as one of the Education projects in the National Lottery Awards 2018 is a tremendous accolade and we are asking for everyone who supports our work to vote either online, by telephone or through Twitter for Armistice Cantata.
 
“Please help us to win this award.”
 
ENDS
 
Enquiries to Grenville on 0777 828 2934 …