Youth choir on song for elderly Banbury residents
It was music to the ears for elderly members of the Banbury WRVS Cornhill Centre on Wednesday, as Bretch Hill's community choir dropped in to give a special Christmas performance.
The generations came together for a day of festive fun led by the 20 members of the Hill's Pop Choir, a project run by Oxfordshire Youth Arts Partnership (OYAP) Trust, and supported with funding from Sanctuary Housing, Cherwell District Council and children's charity Spurgeons.
The day featured a feast of seasonal activities, including carol singing, Secret Santa and bingo. Not forgetting the traditional gut-busting Christmas dinner bringing everyone together round the dinner table.
Jo Dowden, youth and community worker for the Joint Negotiating Committee, said: "Today's event was all about bringing young and old together, marking the launch of what we hope will be a successful intergenerational working partnership between WRVS and the young people."
The choir has been rehearsing for 11 weeks under the watchful eye of choirmaster Emma Brown to put the musical repertoire together. What's more, the performance will be helping members to gain a Bronze Arts Award - a nationally accredited qualification.
Harjinder Lota, head of local partnerships for Sanctuary, added: "We are delighted to be able to support the Hill's Pop Choir, which is another great initiative from OYAP Trust to engage with young people in our society.
"Today's event has encouraged invaluable social interaction between two very different generations and has certainly hit the high note with everyone concerned."
Councillor Dan Sames, Cherwell's young people's champion, said: "Projects such as these that bring different generations together really help to break down barriers and eliminate negative pre-conceptions."
The Hill's Pop Choir is run by OYAP Trust, Oxfordshire's youth arts charity. OYAP works with young people to create a brighter future for the community. Working in partnership with artists, community groups and local authorities, OYAP uses the arts to create opportunities for young people to reach their potential.
OYAP specialises in engaging projects for 11 to 25 year olds that strengthen communities and build skills and is the regional lead training agency for the Arts Award in the South East.