Covid-19 has continued to impact on our organisation and it’s delivery in this year. We kept all our services online for the majority of the year, only beginning to introduce face to face provision from September 2021.We have still had limited corporate bookings instead relying on grant funding, donations and fundraising activity to continue delivery. We have continued to show strong resilience and not only kept services going to our existing participants but grown our offer, our community and our team.Shared Harmonies Zooms / Facebook livesWe have continued to run a weekly zoom sing and twice weekly Facebook lives for people from any of our existing community singing groups plus new members to our community. We have also continued to post singalong videos on Facebook and Youtube. Our reach is continuing to grow. People have reported feeling less isolated, more uplifted and that it has been helpful in managing mental health during the pandemic. Our sing and breathe participants are finding the sessions useful in self management of respiratory condition symptoms “Please keep singing. Your sessions are so important to us, they really cheer us up and are an important link to the outside world”“Thank you, so lovely to singing along and the warm-ups are really calming. I appreciate what you are doing so much”Sing & Breathe Wakefield / LeedsWe have been running weekly sessions on zoom for these two groups for participants with long term respiratory conditions to help reduce breathlessness and isolation, increase wellbeing and increase positive self management of condition. Singing for Happiness, OrbThis group has continued through weekly zoom sessions, including warm up exercises, singing and an opportunity for participants to connect and chat, offering vital support, reducing stress & anxiety and raising positivity.World Cancer DayWe delivered an online singing session on behalf of UICC for world cancer day. The aim was to connect people globally, raise positivity and based on research that singing can boost your immune system. The post has reached over 1.5k peopleCo-Created SongsBased on the success of Our Song we have continued to work with our community to write and produce co-created songs. We produced one over Christmas to help keep people uplifted when unable to meet friends and family to celebrate. Merry Christmas Everyone We also engaged over 100 people in creating our Entry to the Song for Yorkshire Competition. Our This is Our Yorkshire song saw us receive runner up statusCommunity SpiritWe delivered a programme funding through Wakefield Community Foundation to reduce isolation in older people living in Wakefield through sharing of stories, poems and songs as well as co-creating poems and songs. There have been a number of positive outcomes as you can see reflected in the participants comments below including: Reduced isolation, Increased friendships, Increased confidence, Increased self-esteem, Increased mental health, Increased peer support and understanding of coping strategies, Increased knowledge of and interest in local area, Increased awareness of other local services. " Wow what an achievement, I can’t believe I played solo uku. So interesting the group is, we talk freely and laugh freely. Exchange ideas laughter mishaps. I Now wait for Friday to come. Most important thing is something to look forward to kill the boredom. Met some lovely peo-ple."" I look forward to Fridays and have great fun ‘researching’ things to share each week. The group helped me ‘reconnect’ with others after lockdown and provided ‘an anchor’ during all the confusion and uncertainty of last few months. The shared memories/insights and hu-mour often triggered by someone’s favourite poem/song or piece of prose has been very special and enriching. It is lovely hearing stories from different cultures, backgrounds and generations when relayed in a personal way. It has made me feel more affirmed as an indi-vidual being part of this group. Thankyou everyone!""Just to say a big thank you for the regular Community Spirit meet ups. As I live on my own it’s good to have a regular time to meet others in a similar situation. I have even met some-one who I used to know a few years ago, so it was lovely to reconnect with her. It’s good to share experiences about lockdown and it gives us an opportunity to get stuff off our chests and also have a laugh. It’s also good to know that our contributions have a purpose too. It was great to hear the song written based on our discussions. When I heard that it inspired me to write a poem of my own”“For me it’s been a delightful time with others who I have come to know through the friend-ship and format of the group. It’s made me remember things long forgotten, and taught me to share those memories with others. Including the ‘best medicine’ of laughter and song has shown me how to smile again as going into lockdown so soon after Johns death was so hard"Inside OutWe received a commission from Hebden Royd Primary school to work with children through singing, music and outdoor forest skills to create a dementia friendly interactive resource pack to be distributed through Calder Community Cares. Face to face provisionWe started our Sing and Breathe groups in person again from September with strong Covid precautions in place based on thorough risk assessments. These are now running in Wakefield, Leeds and Calderdale. We also re started our Singing for Parkinson’s (Elland) and our Singing for Happiness group (Knaresborough in partnership with Orb) in person from September. Numbers are strong in most groups despite the break from face to face. We are offering hybrid sessions (face to face plus zoom) in some groups. Relax Breathe HarmoniseWe have developed a new service for people with Long Covid. This has been developed based on the latest available research, conversations with respiratory physios and people living with the condition and our own expertise. We have been successful in gaining interest from commissioners in Leeds, Wakefield, Bradford and Calderdale. One commission has been confirmed and we hope the other 3 will not be far behind. The provision will comprise of 10 week online programmes plus online and face to face maintenance options, supported by an online resource library which we will develop. We are currently working with respiratory teams to recruit participants and aim to start our first cohorts in October / November.Paul & Nick Harvey FundWe have been successful in securing a grant from Paul & Nick Harvey fund to increase our singing for dementia offer by developing services to more effectively reach a more ethnically diverse participant audience. The funding will cover the recruitment and support of 2/3 trainees, research into enablers, barriers and current good practice, delivery of singing for dementia sessions and the production of a report and a resource book to support others in the delivery of singing for dementia. Corporate WorkshopsOur limited bookings included a team-building workshop for Landsec, a wellbeing online workshop for Lancaster university and a Christmas party booking for School for Social Entrepreneurs in partnership with Season Well CIC

We continue to gather regular feedback from participants through evaluations forms, verbal feedback and testimonials. All feedback is considered in the planning of our existing services as well as the development of new ones. Through relationships with local commissioners and health care professionals we identified a need for Long Covid services. To develop our provision we engaged with national and international research, with local commissioners and respiratory practitioners, with people living with Long Covid and with other singing for lung health practitioners nationallyOur co-creative song projects were developed on the back of feedback from participants around the impact of the “Our Song” project, the need to feel connected at Christmas and belief in showcasing our talents in a competition. Our dementia friendly resources were developed in consultation with local VCSE organisations working with this community of participants and co-created with a local Primary school.

No remuneration was received

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration