In April 2023, We Love MCR awarded Levenshulme Inspire a grant of £3,997 to support two community choirs – 'Local Vocals' for new parents, and 'Inspire The Choir' for people experiencing social isolation and exclusion.
Inspire is a multi-purpose community venue based inside a former church, a thriving and and well-loved centre owned by the people of Levenshulme. These community choirs are one of many activities, classes and events that happen at Inspire aiming to benefit local people.
Inspire have told us that the Local Vocals project has been a resounding success, supporting nearly 300 people to attend in total – as well as over 100 people attending their Christmas concert!
The choirs welcome over 50 people a week from the local area, with participants forming new connections and friendships, improving their mental health, and being welcomed to a choir designed just for them. This has helped members feel part of a choir that in some cases could have been restricted due to reduced mobility, age and/or mental health struggles.
The feedback from attendees has been overwhelmingly positive, demonstrating that the choirs have become a lifeline for people in the community. Roy told us:
“At the age of 89 I didn’t think I would want to try anything new, especially a choir. I was bullied into it by Charlotte (the choir leader) and have been coming to Inspire choir ever since. I love how fun she makes it and how it makes me feel at the end. I like that we get social time at the end also with a cup of tea. I look forward to Tuesdays and wouldn’t be without it now”.
The choirs have also had a positive impact on the wider centre, with attendees using the centre’s café before and after the sessions, generating vital income and allowing people to engage in the other support services the centre has to offer, underlining its place as a community hub in the heart of Levenshulme.
Thanks to the support of We Love MCR Charity, Inspire has now secured 2 years Arts Council funding to support the choirs, ensuring they become a permanent fixture of the centre offering support the local community. What a fantastic outcome from our initial funding!
We Love MCR Charity are proud to see our Stronger Communities Fund supporting local groups that do exactly that – bringing communities together, strengthening them, and ultimately improve the lives of Manchester’s residents.
