Community Uplift for Gold Award Winning Staveley Centre

On Monday 10th June residents of the Staveley Centre enjoyed a rousing musical from young singers of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church in Chesterfield.

Plymouth Brethren - Staveley Centre

The group’s inspiring repertoire of six songs included three hymns.  Conductor Mr. Humphrey Rowles observed that the residents clearly linked on with old favourites like ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ and ‘Onward, Christian Soldiers’.   A senior supervisor from the centre remarked afterwards that residents, family and carers joined in and thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

Mr Andrew McEleny from Derbyshire County Council, owners of the Staveley Centre, told the Brethren community “I heard fantastic reports as to the choir last night; thanks a lot for that. I think it would be great if you could do our summer fair”!

Plymouth Brethren - Staveley Centre

Derbyshire County Council’s Staveley Centre achieved Gold Standard in Dementia Care only 18 months after opening in 2010. It is the first community care centre of its kind in the county and provides specialist services for older people in its tailor-made dementia-friendly building. The council has meticulously followed recommendations on Dementia Care from the University of Stirling and the Gold Standard is given to those organisations that score at least 75% against essential and recommended measures.  The Staveley Centre scored 94% – a remarkable achievement in such a short time.

Mr Toby Perkins MP often uses the centre to meet constituents and has made dementia care one of his interests. The Chesterfield MP has said: “When it comes to dementia, early diagnosis is vital; it helps people get the carers, support and treatment that will improve outcomes and quality of life for dementia sufferers”.

Plymouth Brethren - Staveley Centre

Before leaving, participants of the choir expressed their pleasure at being able to perform for the residents and gave each one a gift bag containing chocolates and a gospel booklet. They are looking forward to further opportunities for similar events.

28 thoughts on “Community Uplift for Gold Award Winning Staveley Centre”

  1. Grandad says:

    wow LOOKS good but shame we can’t hear! sure it wos good!

  2. celery says:

    keep up the good work guys!

  3. licorice says:

    It would be interesting to know what songs they sang..
    Can’t wait to sing a choir like this my some day!

  4. Uncle Percy says:

    I have previously sung in care homes to the older residents… We ended up even bringing a few to tears, and one older resident who hadn’t spoken for months, shouted ‘it’s lovely, lovely.’

    1. Myself says:

      My school band (I am a member of the PBCC) recently performed at a nursing home and brought many tears! Another time we performed, a number of the residents started dancing upon our playing one of our more ‘jazzy’ peices.

  5. Papillon says:

    I’m a member of PBCC in France. I remember having sung in such a choir few years ago in a nursing home… the old people were so happy that they asked 4 more …Some of those old ladies even kissed the little ones ! We received lots of sweets ! It was so nice 2 see that age was no longer a barrier & that happiness could b seen on every faces !!! KEEP GOING it’s an amazing feeling 2 care 4 others

    1. tellnone says:

      we had an interesting situation when we were singing in a carehome once, where there was a elderly man for was in quite a suffering state, and he hadn’t talked for about two weeks, and the nurses were quite worried about him. anyhow, we were going around and singing in different rooms, and one of the songs we sung was ‘yesterday once more’ which is obviously an old favorite for the elderly and we noticed during it he was obviously emotional about it and afterwards we all went and were talking to the elderly people, and some of the our choir approached him, and to the surprise of the nurses, he actually started talking; they said that was the first time he had talked in weeks – it obviously made his day.

    2. Auntique says:

      You are 100% spot on Papillon! It’s actually really sad to go into a care home and see the state of the older people in there. It’s like their families have put them in a corner to gather dust. As the saying goes – use it or lose it. Some of them are stuck in a room in front of the telly and others sit by the lift waiting for someone to come up so they can speak to them. Many residents go without a visitor for weeks or months and they watch the lift sometimes hoping that it will be someone to see them. They’re so happy when you stop and have a little chat with them – generally are beaming when we’re ready to leave coz we’ve made their day! Kids love to go see them and aren’t one bit shy to speak with them. You never know whose day you might make with a simple smile, a cheerful greeting and a little conversation – go for it!

  6. Terry says:

    Well done to all involved – looks like it was a great time.
    It’s always enjoyable to do something for someone else…!!
    Keep it up.

  7. Pim says:

    Yes, if available please put a recording or video onto this website!

    1. Joe says:

      Yeah, plz can we get a recording of this?
      And also a list of the songs they sang?

    2. me says:

      yeah totally agree, please put more music onto this website!!!
      well done!!

  8. Ozzie says:

    Keep it up guys…………the old ones always enjoy it 🙂

  9. me says:

    please put a recording or video onto this website..please!!!!
    well done anyway!!

  10. Karl says:

    Such a sacrifice…..keep up the great work!!! Keep the old people happy. 🙂

  11. Ronnie says:

    No way guy’s! Good on ya.. keep it up. That is a serious sacrifice!

    1. Philippa says:

      I totally agree with you Ronnie – this is just awesome…….. look forward to listening to you all one day. Keep going all of you!!

    2. Zap says:

      As most people enjoy getting together and singing; why do these comments suggest it’s a massive sacrifice? Surely, it’s a privilege, and an enjoyment, for a group of young people to get together and entertain some elderly people

    3. Kate says:

      Zap,
      Of course it is a privilege & also rewarding to be with elderly people. What you say about people enjoying getting together & singing is true but i think they would get more enjoyment out of seeing the pleasure on the old people’s faces & bringing some happiness into their lives!!
      & while these young people who go & sing at nursing homes do not think it a sacrifice we all know it is out of their time. We need to encourage them not imply that they are only doing it for their own enjoyment!

    4. Anteater says:

      Well said Kate, I fully agree with you.

    5. PBBC Kid says:

      As a member of a school choir in Australia, we have gone to a number of nursing homes and retirement villages to sing to them over the past 2 years… those times were experiences which neither I nor my friends in the choir will ever forget. Seeing the joy in the faces of the aged ones as they are listening makes every hour of practise feel worthwhile – no matter how much personal time, how many lunches and study periods it took up. This is the sacrifice – as before mentioned – that all members of the choir experience, but this is forgotten when the visit is over and each of those in the choir tell their story about what they have heard from the aged people and what they have seen in their faces.
      Going to these nursing homes and retirement villages and singing are honestly times that make memories by the minute… both for us and the aged ones.
      I am looking forward to doing it for the second time this year 🙂 🙂

  12. jane says:

    As Cluck says, it’s something that would be great if you could do more of…. I’m glad i’m not an old person in a care home, but if I was, wouldn’t this brighten up my day? – you bet it would! Thanks, guys!

  13. Violet says:

    loving this! – such a great idea – get out there and sing!!

  14. cinnamon says:

    As a member of another PBCC choir, I can imagine this was truly enjoyable for the Chesterfield young ppl to be able to go and cheer up some aged ones! Music is a link we all have in praising God! Keep up the awesome work! 🙂

  15. Laurie says:

    As belonging to the PBCC we have done this a few times in our home county of Bedfordshire too. The old folks join in with the hymns they remember and old war songs too, they love it and it makes it all very worth while. The children leave cakes for them all and thoroughly enjoy the time. Let us know where you are and we will see what can be arranged.

  16. Edna says:

    This is excellent. Good to see you doing such good work in your community. Do you travel or is there a choir in every place where you have a church that could do this singing in nursing homes? Us oldies love it!

    1. KE says:

      Every PBCC Memebr is able to sing! So a few are selected to sing to the ‘old ones’!

      We did this in our area and it was very good.

  17. cluck says:

    I think you should do more of this!! it’s what we need in the general public… go frit!!

Comments are closed.