Calon Chorus

Forget-me-not Chorus founded Calon Chorus in 2022 in partnership with the Arts for Health and Wellbeing Programme run by Cardiff & Vale Health Charity and Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. The community choir provided an opportunity to find support and friendship for anyone who has loved and lost someone with dementia, and who understands the challenges of living alongside the condition.

Bereavement can affect family and friends emotionally, physically, and also impact mental wellbeing; there comes an understanding which only those who have cared for someone close with dementia can truly appreciate.

Calon Chorus created a community of shared experience and support, providing an opportunity to find company and friendship from those in similar circumstances. The weekly choir offered a joyful and uplifting experience through the power of song, reducing feelings of isolation that can come following a bereavement.

“Calon Chorus has revived my love of singing. The community has hugely helped me in a way that nothing else has. It gives me huge sense of wellbeing to be able to support other people and to benefit from their support.”

Staff Lottery funding was granted for Calon Chorus to assist with the running costs of the weekly sessions. With the Staff Lottery Funding, the choir was able to provide a community of supportive individuals, and a way for people who have loved and lost someone with dementia to connect, tell their stories, and know they are not alone.

You can find out more about how to join the Staff Lottery, and how to apply for funding to improve your department by visiting our website.