Welsh choir named Best Wellbeing Service in Wales 2024

Innovative Welsh social enterprise Choirs For Good has won a Mental Health & Wellbeing Award

The not-for-profit has been recognised for its work running community wellbeing choirs across the country. Groups meet weekly across 12 locations in Wales and Bristol, bringing together people from all parts of the community to socialise and sing.

The sessions include 30 minutes of tea, biscuits, and conversation, followed by an hour of singing. Group singing has been proven to improve mental health and wellbeing, with a particular impact on self-confidence and a sense of belonging.

The Mental Health & Wellbeing awards are managed and organised by The Ajuda Foundation, a community interest company promoting positive mental health. They recognise initiatives which are helping people feel better, like Choirs For Good.

Bobbie Allen, Project Coordinator at the Ajuda Foundation, said:

“We were absolutely thrilled to award Choirs for Good with the Best Wellbeing Service this year. It was a hotly contested category, but the work that Choirs for Good is doing for mental health and wellbeing in the community speaks for itself. We were able to sense the ‘feel-good factor’ Choirs for Good brings when they sang at the Mental Health & Wellbeing Wales Awards ceremony this year – there was a real buzz in the room, and the joy was evident in the light they brought to people’s faces. A well-deserved win indeed!”

Ruth Haugen, Impact manager at Choirs For Good, said:

“Choirs For Good are absolutely honoured to be receiving this prestigious award. Over the past four years, we have worked hard to bring people a sense of joy and purpose through group singing, and to empower our participants to be forces for good in their communities. Having that hard work recognised is a dream come true!”

This award comes off the back of another win for Choirs For Good when they were named as the Wales Runner Up at the Creative Lives awards, which celebrates everyday creativity in communities across the UK and Ireland.

Robin Simpson, Chief Executive of Creative Lives, said:

“The Creative Lives Awards consistently reveal the extraordinary impact of volunteer-led creative groups. This year’s winners demonstrate – yet again – the vital role such groups play in building stronger, more resilient communities. At a time when so many are experiencing isolation and uncertainty, these groups offer a lifeline of connection, shared purpose and joy.”

Founded in 2020, Choirs For Good run a network of community wellbeing choirs that highlight the importance and benefits of community singing. The groups help bring people together and give back to their local communities across the 12 locations. Find out more at www.choirsforgood.com