The hall was alive with the sound of carers

The new carers choir debut performance filling the Great Hall

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As carers celebrate 10 years of services this year, a group have joined forces to make their voices heard with the first carers’ choir for the borough.

They made their debut performance at the 10 year anniversary celebrations at Rochdale Town Hall, during the national Carers Week.

The choir originated after a carer raised the idea about taking their voices out into the community to perform at events and raise awareness about carers, spreading the message about their role and reaching out to other carers.

The idea grew and the group performed to other carers on 21 June, at the main event for the 10 year anniversary celebrations and Carers Week.

Other events during the week included a carer’s health check day, a cream tea morning, pamper sessions, Olympic-themed coffee morning, a game of ten-pin bowling between male carers and young carers and a welcome session for new carers.

Sandra Montgomery, manager of The Carers’ Resource at Rochdale Borough Council said: “It was great to see the choir performing to an audience at our celebration party. Some of the group had never done anything like this before and were nervous but they all came together and sang some great songs – well done to all!

“This year is a special one for us as we celebrate 10 years of carer’s services. We’ve been supporting around 1900 carers from the borough and this week saw another 25 ‘unknown’ carers come forward to access help and support from us. We hope all the events that were held during the week were enjoyed by the carers that came along.”

According to a national survey, there are approximately 22,000 carers in Rochdale. These unsung heroes often give up any spare time they have to care for a friend or family member.

Councillor Jean Hornby, Cabinet Member for Adult Care at Rochdale Borough Council said: “The week of events was a great way to get carers together to enjoy some fun and entertainment. Members from Rochdale Borough Council’s Cabinet were able to enjoy the performance by the choir at the anniversary party and were very impressed, so congratulations to all.

“The events held during the week also enabled us to reach out to new carers. They provide a vital contribution to families and communities in providing unpaid care for someone and it’s important that they all receive the support they deserve and need.”

Along with the carers choir, other entertainment at the celebration evening was provided by The Rock Choir, a swing band and Victorian fun fair stalls. A short video is being put together to show the performance by the carers – watch this space for details.