2023 Charity Fundraising
PRESS RELEASE
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934 or email [email protected]
Monday January 22, 2024
CHOIR Singing in the AFTERNOON is proving to be a big hit across the West of England, raising thousands of pounds for community groups. Last year (2023) across all the choirs, from Gloucester to Cornwall the magnificent sum of just over £30,000 was raised.
Founder Grenville Jones has a World-Wide reputation as a choir leader and as someone who advocates the health benefits of belonging in a choir. He says; “SINGING should be ON PRESCRIPTION.”
He is also well-known as founder of the Golden-Oldies Sing and Smile Charity – now in its 16th year – with its 120 daytime fun sessions in Church Halls and Community Rooms across England and Wales (Goldies Cymru). Sir Cliff Richard is the Charity Patron.
Grenville also runs a Thursday evening mixed-voice choir in Bath, the Welcome Chorus, which has over 70 singers and is also the founder conductor of the celebrated City of Bath Male Choir, now conducted by his son Laurie Jones. They hit the headlines on the BBC Last Choir Standing Saturday night series and have since performed across the World in recent years.
He started the community Good Afternoon Choirs in his home City of Bath 15 years ago; choirs that sing in the daytime with no auditions and the accent on FUN singing, making friends and supporting local organisations with fundraising concerts.
In recent years the Good Afternoon Choirs have raised many thousands of pounds for local groups and have just announced that last year – 2023 – over £30,000 was given to organisations across the West of England - LISTED BELOW.
There are now 24 Good Afternoon Choirs from GLOUCESTER to CORNWALL with more planned later in the year. Grenville takes four of the choirs himself and employs many talented freelance leaders and accompanists across the West.
“I am fortunate to have a great team of leaders and all admin support comes from our office in Westfield near Bath. Our choir members are now choosing the local organisations they want to help this year (2025),” says Grenville.
The Good Afternoon Choirs take place on;
Mondays : Bristol, Frome, South Somerset and Truro
Tuesdays : Chippenham/Calne, Churchdown (N.Glos), Cirencester/Stroud, Mid Devon, Taunton and Wells
Wednesdays : Highworth/Shrivenham, Keynsham, Malmesbury, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Yate/Chipping Sodbury
Thursdays : Bath, Newquay, Norton Radstock, North Swindon and Thornbury
Fridays : Devizes, Falmouth and Westbury/Warminster
Full details on all the choirs/rehearsal times etc are on www.goodafternoonchoir.org
In addition the Good Afternoon Choirs helped to raise funds for St Catherine’s Church (near Frome); Keynsham Mencap; Great Western Hospital Cancer Services and The Royal British Legion.
Finally, Grenville organised and funded a concert in Bath Abbey in November to commemorate the life of his son who passed away in July. This concert was supported by many of Grenville’s choir members and raised £7,400 for the ‘We Get It’, a charity supporting families living with Cancer.
The final grand total for money raised by Grenville’s choirs last year (2023) totals £30,695.10
ENDS
Image shows : Many of the Good Afternoon Choir attendees at their recent Big Sing in Wells Cathedral.
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934 or email [email protected].
NB…
In BATH choirs supported : Sing to Beat Parkinson’s in Bath; Bath Mind; Children’s Hospice South West
In BRISTOL choirs supported : Gympanzees; Dementia UK; South Western Ambulance Charity; Great Western Air Ambulance
In CORNWALL choirs supported : Cornwall Youth Choirs; Gather & Grow; Cornwall Blood Bikes
In DEVON choirs supported : Blue Skye Thinking
In GLOUCESTERSHIRE choirs supported : Jenson’s Journey; The Churn Project; Highworth Community Larder
In NORTH SOMERSET choirs supported : Children’s Air Ambulance;
In SOMERSET choirs supported : Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance; ARC Inspiring Lives; PAPYRUS
In SOUTH SOMERSET choir supported : Ring & Ride CAT Bus
In WILTSHIRE our choirs supported : Dorothy House; Sidmouth Street Club Devizes (Alzheimer’s Support); Alzheimer’s Support; The Open Door; Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance