Category: Inclusive Communication

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!”

Meet Sarah and Jay

Sarah started as a singer and became a volunteer. Sarah loves the song Help by The Beetles. And Jay’s favourite is Don’t worry by Bob Marley. Jay plays percussion and sings.

Sarah said; “I also love our choir’s Kind Communication song as it tells people what we are all about.

For example, if people are talking to someone who is deaf or non-verbal, the song reminds them not to talk to the person behind or next to them – talk to the disabled person directly, otherwise it is not fair.”

Jay agrees; “The Kind Communication song reminds people not to judge a person on first impressions, but rather talk to them, make time for them and try to understand them.”

Their Include story…

Sarah first found out about The Include Choir through Facebook. She read about how Alix, a speech and language therapist, wanted everyone to be included…so she set up the choir for people without and with disabilities.

As Sarah says; “It’s called The Include Choir because it is just inclusive to everyone, there is no right or no wrong, everyone is the same in their different ways.

I was really nervous when I first started but another member Mary Clare took me under her wing and I was all okay. And if I’m ever down Nicola, one of the volunteers, will talk to me and cheer me up. I’d say to anyone that is thinking of joining the choir – don’t worry – give it a go!”

Sarah told Jay about the choir; “Sarah told me I would enjoy it. I can practice my singing, sign language, meet new people and just have a laugh! It also works well with supporting my speech…

…And (before Coronavirus) it meant I could spend time with Sarah outside of the house we live in”! Says Jay.

It might be time to reveal that Sarah and Jay have become a couple.

One of Sarah and Jay’s favourite Include Choir moments (and the favourite moment of many other members too) was them telling everyone in the choir that they had got engaged!

Saying connected through Covid19

“The Include Choir’s online activities during coronavirus help people who have mental health needs, use sign language or are on their own. The choir is a place they can come to spend time with other supportive people.” Says Jay.

I linked up with the choir during lockdown on Zoom and Facebook Lives. Communicating with the choir during lockdown gives me something to do during the day, especially if Sarah is not around, I have something I can focus on. And it is good seeing everyone else doing the same thing.”

Sarah agrees; “What’s nice is we can still communicate with people – it is just a bit different. We still celebrate people’s birthdays and sing Happy Birthday to them. I would feel quite down if we didn’t have Include in lockdown. I am not too bad at the moment as I can go to work – but the choir has kept me going before.” Says Sarah.

During the national lockdown earlier this year Sarah started an amazing initiative. She came up with an idea for The Include Choir to record a song to say Thank You to the NHS and other Key Workers. Click here to listen to the Thank You Key workers Song.

The choir sang and signed Jay’s favourite song “Don’t Worry” and it was shared online and even entered into a virtual talent competition! It gave the choir and the community a real boost.

Despite all the successes, Sarah has one eye on the future; “It was great when we could perform together – fingers crossed we can get back to it. It is a shame with Coronavirus. Online its good, but not the same.”

Final word from Sarah & Jay…

“The Include Choir helps us to help others…

The singing and signing are really helpful when communicating with people who are non-verbal. Says Sarah. We have a few people where Jay and I live who have brain injuries and are non-verbal and we can communicate with them. I show one of the boys our Include Choir videos and he loves it – we can make him happy and included by showing him Include Choir songs.

It helps me to communicate better at work too. I work with pre-school age children. I play with them, change their nappies, talk to them, feed them, keep them safe…and of course I can sing and sign with them!

When the community see us perform, I’m proud that we’re representing the choir and educating audiences about things like the Mental Capacity Act and how to support people like me who might have anxiety.”

Jay sums up; “Have a listen to us on YouTube and watch how we perform, that way you can learn about inclusive communication and perhaps donate some money to help us keep going?”