Small Charity Week is an annual celebration of the small charities making a huge difference to communities across the U.K. The campaign aims to amplify the messages and impact of small charities, support them in their invaluable work, and connect small charities with those who can strengthen them. When small charities are stronger, the communities they support are stronger too.
In the spirit of Small Charity Week, we are delighted to highlight the brilliant work of small charities in Bath & North East Somerset, by featuring several individual charity spotlights across the week of June 24th - 28th. By sharing their stories, we hope to support further recognition for the vital role small charities play, empower our members to have their voices heard, and celebrate their magnificent efforts.
To mark Day 2 of Small Charity Week, we're delighted to showcase the great work of Golden Oldies Charity! Read on to find out more...
Can you tell us a little bit about your small charity?
Our Golden-Oldies Charity, fondly known as ‘Goldies’, delivers FUN daytime social 'Sing&Smile' groups and additional events, open to everyone but aimed primarily at isolated adults aged 65+. Goldies activities support mental health, physical wellbeing and independent living by bringing communities together for fun, friendship and activity.
Goldies was founded by Bath-based musician Grenville Jones, well known local choir Leader, in 2007. Grenville knows first-hand the positive social effects of singing in a group. “I wanted to grab the atmosphere of fun and friendship and bring it to anyone who might sometimes find themselves feeling lonely, through daytime ‘sing-alongs’. Goldies is for everyone. You don't have to be able to sing, it's not a choir, but fun social groups where we enjoy the popular hits of the 60s onwards, chat, laugh and dance.”
In B&NES Goldies host 15 fun social Sing&Smile groups reaching an average of 240 people every month, which we run alongside popular additional events including intergenerational activities with local Primary Schools, Age Awareness days, concerts and festive celebrations.
Are you working on any big projects at the moment?
In April this year Goldies hosted a fabulous intergenerational day at Bath Pavilion, bringing together 5 B&NES Primary Schools, 2 local choirs and attendees from all Goldies Sing&Smile sessions from across the county. Everyone had the chance to perform individually and to sing all together, with everyone up dancing and laughing together at the end of the day. At the request of the schools and Goldies participants who had a wonderful time, we plan to provide more events like this over the next 18 months.
Have there been any accomplishments your charity is particularly proud of that you'd like to share?
With all Goldies Sing&Smile groups closing during the COVID Lockdowns, our charity took a bold leap and moved online, with twice weekly Sing&Smile sessions accessible through our website and YouTube. This included our popular sing-along music with onscreen lyrics, movement to music exercise and important information from the NHS. We were also extremely proud of our attendees who battled with learning new IT skills in order to join us online.
On returning to face to face activities, many of our Leaders braved learning to use new technology (iPad/Projector/Screen) instead of songbooks. This equipment has enabled us to keep providing our popular movement to music videos, which can be shown on screen, whilst making sessions more sustainable (no need to print hundreds of songbooks) and making sessions more COVID safe (no passing of books from group to group which can be dirty/contaminated). Participant and Session Leader feedback has been very positive with people reporting a preference to using the projectors over the books. There have been comments about ease of accessing the sessions, ability to move and dance more, a general feeling of being more immersed in the sessions and better able to engage with other participants.
Other than volunteering and donating, what other ways can local people help support your charity's great work?
We are always on the look out for new Session Leaders and are keen to recruit someone to take on a role in and around Bath in particular. This can be done as a volunteer or we can offer payment of £25 per session (approx. 1.5 hours) plus £0.40pm in mileage. You don't have to be a great singer, but it helps to be able to carry a tune. Our Leaders love a good chat, are happy engaging and supportive people, who are keen to give a little back to their local community. Goldies will provide all the equipment, training and a DBS check, please get in touch with the office if you're interested events@golden-oldies.org.uk . We always welcome new volunteers at our Goldies Charity shop in Keynsham too.
If you can spread the word about Goldies, that is really beneficial. Maybe you know someone who would enjoy joining us - parents/neighbours/friends. Find out details about your local session on our website https://www.golden-oldies.org.uk/bnes.html or get in touch with the office for more details. We can provide you with flyers for your local area too.
What are the benefits of being a small charity?
As a small charity we are able to direct a higher proportion of our funding into the delivery of our services, rather than into core costs. We also have better knowledge about the needs and wants of the local communities we serve in, we can collaborate with other local support services to ensure these needs are met.
What do you think are the main challenges facing small charities, and what could be done better to tackle these?
Funding is always the biggest challenge for a small charity, so being able to access a database of funders through 3SG is incredibly helpful in finding some of those smaller trusts and foundations are are less well known.
There is a bit of a blurred line around what is classed as a small charity, it's usually income based but this can vary (from £50,000-£1,000,000) depending on who you're talking to. Some clearer guidelines would be welcome so charities can approach the right funder without wasting their, and the funders, precious time and energies.
As a small charity, what is your favourite thing about being a 3SG member?
3SG are fantastic communicators, we always feel like we know exactly what's going on in B&NES. If we have a problem or a project we are working on, 3SG are quick to offer contacts with other groups who could help/join us. We have sourced new Session Leaders through the Job section of their website, found new potential funders through the Funds Online Access, and we are looking forward to making new contacts at the Ageing Well Forum event at St John's Foundation Courtyard on Tuesday 18th June. Thank you 3SG!!
Stories from Golden Oldies Charity attendees:
"I live with my mum who has been my carer as I'm blind, but now she has Dementia, we care for each other. There aren't many activities we can do together that we both enjoy, but Goldies is definitely one of them! We always feel so welcome and leave feeling so happy in spirit and light in body. I can't see the words, but it's songs I know off by heart anyway and mum remembers from her youth, so it's perfect."
"Goldies sessions give me a 'real boost' in mood and with my physical health. I suffer from a really bad back, but when I’m relaxed at Goldies I just can't help myself and I always get up and dance. I think Goldies is brilliant and it makes me feel good, but that feeling doesn't just last for the session, it lasts for several days after."
Goldies Session Leader Carole commented; “A new lady came who has lung problems, she took her oxygen levels when she got to Goldies and found they were low. After the session the reading was excellent, she’s now told her doctor how singing with Goldies is so good for you.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out the Golden Oldies Charity website here to learn more about what they do!
Find out more about Small Charity Week here: https://www.smallcharityweek.com/
Small Charity Week defines a small charity as a voluntary organisation with a social or charitable purpose with an annual income of less than £1 million. This includes registered charities, community groups, community interest companies (CICs) and other structures.
If your small charity would like to become a 3SG member, you can find more information here. Alternatively, please get in touch and we'd be happy to have a chat - contact@3sg.org.uk
Comments