Month: November 2020

Here’s Helen’s story…

“People kept recommending the choir to me because they know I love singing and signing. Eventually, I thought I’m going to give this a try. From the minute I arrived everyone was so friendly; I knew it was something I wanted to stay involved with. I absolutely loved it and I was sold.”

Helen finds it difficult to choose a single favourite song, she says “We recently recorded This is Me (from The Greatest Showman) for the big screens at Heathrow airport and I thoroughly enjoyed that. I enjoy a lot of the songs, especially the Christmas songs, they are always fun.”

Always learning

After training as a Speech and Language therapist with Alix Lewer (Founder and CEO of include.org), Helen joined The Include Choir to share her love of singing and signing – and to see what she could learn.

Helen says she’s learnt “to communicate with all sorts of different people, including people who are really challenged in their ability to communicate effectively. I do know Makaton but every week I am learning more signs, it is fantastic. We have so many different kinds of people in the choir, that is the main thing I have taken away – learning from the other members.”

Linking up in hard times

Helen says that the choir really helps to keep her mood up. “I have actually had quite a lot of mental health difficulties in the last two years. While I was off work, I found coming to the choir to sing with other people releases endorphins and you feel part of something bigger. I would say that has been a lifeline for me, and has really helped me not feel lonely or down. I am really grateful to Alix for that.”

Despite the pandemic Helen continues to take part in the choir’s virtual sessions.

“Every Wednesday night I tune into Alix on Facebook, I really look forward to it. On a Friday I do the sing and sign and on Saturday morning I do the virtual tea break, just to see how everyone is doing.

My friend Marian is a huge fan, and even though she has moved to Shropshire, she still tunes in each Wednesday to the Facebook session.”

The Include Choir – does what it says on the tin!

“I think Alix’s vision was to have a choir for everyone to come along to, irrespective of their background, disability, or anything. I think that is why she chose the name, which is a very clever and memorable name” Says Helen.

“The Include Choir is fun, and there is something for everyone. I don’t think it matters if you’re not a good singer or a good signer, you can come and do what you like, take from it what you can. Everyone is friendly and accepts one another as they are and everybody is involved, that is what I love about it.”

She adds, “It is a very unusual choir, we actually put in a video for Britain’s Got Talent, but unfortunately we didn’t get through – at least another inclusive signing choir did!”

Singing Alix’s praises

Now the bit to make the boss blush, Helen says; “I think Alix is a complete star, I am a huge fan of her. She has put so much energy and passion into The Include Choir and I think that has paid dividends, and everyone is very committed. We are like one big family, and I’m sure other people will tell you that.”

Meet Josh…

The Include Choir has taught Josh singing and Makaton signing.

He says; “The Include Choir makes me feel special because I’m very involved. I help a lot at meetings and rehearsals and keep the choir to time”! He is also a member of the steering group.

Josh often takes part in the choir’s ‘Sign of the Week’ videos, and has found this helpful for learning Makaton. His favourite song is ‘Let’s go fly a kite’ because it’s well known and easy to learn – and good fun with the Include Choir props too!

Josh’s best bits

Josh says that the choir is special as people are able to sign which helps everyone to understand and join in. Josh learnt Makaton when he was much younger, but had forgotten most of it, so it has been good to practice.

Josh’s favourite memory with The Include Choir is when he travelled to London in a minibus with Alix and the choir to perform at Barts hospital.

When they arrived, they were unable to find parking, but the choir does not give up easily and in the end the performance went ahead and had a large audience of about 200 medical staff!

The audience gave some fantastic feedback with comments like “Today I learned that people with learning difficulties are…full of confidence, strength and a sense of fun”.

Josh’s friends and family are fans of the Include Choir too, and have been to watch him perform and sing with the choir.

Josh’s Mum Sally enjoys watching the reactions of people when they see the choir perform, as they get drawn in and everyone enjoys themselves. “Singing with everyone can be quite emotional, as it’s such a lovely feeling” She says.

Sally really enjoyed attending Choir-oke in the Harlequin Theater in Redhill. She says “It was a big event where lots of local choirs attended, and at the end the audience members sang along. Watching the choir use props, like the big flying kite, was really enjoyable”.

Connecting in Lockdown

Sally has been blown away by the dedication and enthusiasm of staff and volunteers in the Include Choir, “I am amazed at how the choir has been able to keep going since Covid19”.

During lockdown, Josh has helped lead an online Arts and Crafts session where members made kites.

He has also been joining all the online choir sessions, sing and sign sessions, and social tea-breaks via Zoom. Josh says “everyone just has a chat…I enjoy sharing news and keeping up-to-date with everyone, even though we can’t be with each other”.

A final word from Josh

Josh says that other people should join the choir and they can expect “a lot of fun singing that makes them feel good”, as singing with the Include Choir makes him feel happy and fabulous!

Sally says; ‘Everyone I come across I tell them about the choir because I think it’s such a good thing to do!’ She would recommend people to join the Include Choir as it’s great fun, and the enthusiasm from volunteers and members draws you in. “I don’t know anyone that doesn’t enjoy being in the choir.”

Meet Hannah…

Hannah learnt Makaton in early childhood but she’d forgotten most of it, until she started singing and signing with Include. Hannah and her life-long friend, Ellie joined when Include started in 2016, and have always been a fabulous feature of the choir, right at the center, singing and signing with great passion and energy!

Hannah’s favourite thing to sing and sign is The Battle Hymn of the Mental Capacity Act. An original composition by the choir, it raises awareness of how to support people like Hannah and Ellie to make informed decisions about their own lives.

Hannah’s decision to help others…

Hannah’s Makaton has greatly improved with the choir, to the point that she has taught lots of signs to family and friends as well as the young kids at a children’s group she volunteers at near her home. She says, “I was reading with them and signing as well.”

Being a member of the choir has given her great confidence in many areas of her life, and the responsibilities that Include encourages its members to take on have been great for Hannah’s self-esteem.

She says; “I’m not just a singer and member, I challenged myself to be a Choir Rep – an organiser and helper for the choir, which I’ve done in lockdown too” Hannah says.

As part of her role she elects the choir’s Star of the Month and ensures the recipient gets the certificate. It’s a role she carries out brilliantly and is very proud of.

“I know who the Star of the Month is this month…but I can’t tell you,” says Hannah, with a big smile! She’s sworn to secrecy until she makes the big announcement, live on air during the Include Choir Online Facebook session. “It takes a lot of thinking,” she says. “I have to think about who’s had it before or not and what they have done recently.”

She did get a Star of the Month herself once – “I got one for being the Choir Rep…but that was ages ago now!” Maybe she’s due another one!

Lockdown living

Hannah has fond and proud memories of performing with The Include Choir at the local Harlequin Theater in Redhill, and a trip up to London to sing the Mental Capacity Act song. That was all before Covid19.

Hannah’s mum Kate is a big Include fan. “It’s really helped Hannah’s understanding and her independence,” she says, “I think it’s brilliant at the moment because all that support is still there through the lockdown, with all the things that Alix has put in place.”

Regarding lockdown Hannah says, “I’m keeping myself busy, which is good, that’s the important thing.”

She’s in a bubble with her parents and enjoys a regular online schedule of activities including a weekly Bollywood dance class and, of course, the choir session on a Wednesday evening and Include’s tea break Saturday morning meet-up on Zoom, which is an opportunity to chat to others about what’s been going on during the week.

However, she’s missing seeing more of her friends and her sisters. “I have seen them but on their doorstep. And I’ve only met up with one of my friends – Ellie.”

Include is very grateful to Hannah for the wonderful contribution she has made and continues to make to Include through the lockdown of 2020. She’s always a star to us!

Meet MaryClare…

“Singing with The Include Choir is a joyful feeling” says choir member MaryClare, who sings and signs with the choir.

Her favourite song is the Bicycle Song , because it has a great tune and words which encourage people to enjoy cycling and being outdoors. I ride my bike every day and often sing this as I pedal along.

MaryClare’s Include Story

MaryClare joined The Include Choir after she saw an advert in her local community center. “I thought it sounded just right for me – I wanted to sing and sign and make new friends.

I first learnt some Makaton signing at Furzefield school in Merstham where I was working. I wanted to keep on learning and practicing Makaton when I went to work at the hospital. And also, I always loved singing!

Joining The Include Choir has taught me new signs, as well as lots of new songs. For me, signing is a way of using my body to express music and the feeling behind it”. 

MaryClare has had so many amazing moments with The Include Choir, she finds it difficult to pin down her favourite! Her highlights include singing at community events in the local theater and in the park in Redhill, and doing inclusive communication workshops at Parallel London. “It was great as people were joining in and there was a great sense of community”, she says.

“I am proud of the choir and I’m always telling people about it! My parents are also big The Include Choir fans! They have attended lots of the choir’s performances and always watch the Facebook and YouTube videos, they love them!”

Why is The Include Choir special? 

MaryClare says that The Include Choir has taught her the value of total communication, which is communication that uses things like facial expression, hands, body language and signing, as well as words.

“The Include Choir is good for broadening people’s horizons, and extending their social circles. And it is important for people with learning disabilities and people without learning disabilities to form friendships and learn respect for each other as this creates a better community. The Include Choir helps people to do this” she says.  

“What makes the Include choir so special to me is the people. We are all together and everybody’s opinions and feelings are valued.”

How Covid-19 changed things

MaryClare is impressed with how the choir has kept going through the lockdown, even when they haven’t been able to meet up with each other. “There are so many members who used to come to the in-person choir practices and events, who now take part in the Facebook live sessions or the Zoom sessions.

With Include Choir sessions now happening on lots of different days and online means there are more opportunities for more people to take part, as they can do it from the safety and comfort of their own home. We’ve even had people join us from very far away from our original base in Surrey – places like Scotland, Wigan and South Africa!”

MaryClare also says; “Although it is wonderful to stay connected and to be able to sing online, nothing beats being able to sing together and to chat and see everyone in person.”

Final word from MaryClare

“The Include choir includes everybody, it is such an inclusive place to be for people with and without learning disabilities. The use of singing and signing, with support workers and volunteers brings everyone together on an equal footing.

More people should join the Include Choir because it’s really important that people know Makaton signs, even if it’s just a few.

The choir is so brilliant; I want more people to come so they can benefit and join in!”