A Welsh charity bringing the joy of singing to people living with dementia and those who support them is appealing for votes in order to be crowned National Lottery Project of the Year.

Welsh charity, Forget-me-not Chorus, beat off stiff competition from more than 1300 organisations to reach the public voting stage in this year’s National Lottery Awards, which celebrate the inspirational people and projects which do extraordinary things with the help of National Lottery funding.

There are 17 shortlisted finalists from across the UK, all of which will compete in a four-week public vote from 7th September to 7th October to be named the National Lottery Project of the Year. Winners will receive a £5,000 cash prize for their project and an iconic National Lottery Awards trophy.

Since 2011, Forget-me-not Chorus – one of Wales’s leading dementia charities – has run weekly singing sessions for people with dementia and those who support them. The charity started in Cardiff but has since expanded its reach pan Wales and to the rest of the UK. Through five community choirs, twenty ‘Singing Strong’ care home choirs, a library of free pre-recorded singing sessions, and a hospital service - the team of highly skilled professional musicians reach over 1000 people a week. 

Those who benefit are of all ages. as well as the families, friends and professional staff looking after them.

The National Lottery funded charity uses music -for meaningful communication and engagement, bringing joy and laughter, and offering respite from the relentless routine and isolation of dementia. Through bespoke artistic projects the charity creates original works to share with the wider community, which fosters a sense of worth and achievement.

Delighted to be nominated as a finalist, Forget-me-not Chorus Co-founder and Artistic Director, Kate Woolveridge said: “We’re so excited to be a finalist in the 2022 National Lottery Awards Project of the Year category.  

 Forget-me-not Chorus is about bringing people together to create a singing community that celebrates the present, the here and now, creating new memories. We believe passionately in the power and joy of song to make a real difference. Everyone’s dementia journey is unique, but we are united as we sing together.  

Our choristers tell us that the Forget-me-not Chorus is a ‘spa for the soul’ so please, get voting and help us become this year’s National Lottery Awards Project of the Year.” 

Jonathan Tuchner, from the National Lottery, added: “We’re so pleased to have received so many nominations highlighting the excellent work that National Lottery-funded projects are doing up and down the UK. It’s no secret that times are tough, so it’s great to see so many people and projects dedicating so much time and energy into giving something back to their communities.

"It’s thanks to National Lottery players, who raise more than £30 million each week for good causes, that brilliant projects like these are possible. 

“Forget-me-not Chorus are doing some incredible work throughout Wales, and they thoroughly deserve to be in the finals of the National Lottery Awards Project of the Year 2022. With your support, they could be a winner.”

To vote for Forget-me-not Chorus, please go to lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards . Or simply use the Twitter hashtag #NLAForgetMeNot . Voting runs from 9am on 7th September until 5pm on 7th October.   

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