Singing for the Mind group is in fine tune

Birthday cake and a rousing rendition of ‘Happy Birthday to You’ was how members of Singing for the Mind in Fleet marked the group’s second birthday this month.

Singing for the Mind is an inclusive weekly support group for people living with dementia and their carers. It is run by local musician and trained nurse Paul Tickner and is sponsored by home care provider Right at Home GF.

The sessions are participative and provide an opportunity for people to sing and share memories and their love for all styles of music in a relaxed and friendly environment.

Explaining more about Singing for the Mind and how it works as a therapy, Paul says: “I begin each session with a vocal warm-up and some seated exercises designed to get people moving their body. This is followed by a singalong to a variety of well-known and uplifting songs. I include actions for coordination and verbal commands designed to exercise the left and right-hand side of the brain. I keep the energy level high and stimulating as it is important to keep the audience’s attention.

“It’s a fact that singing opens pathways to the brain that are closed to other forms of communication. Over the past two years I have had the privilege to witness some remarkable incidences. I’ve seen people who cannot speak discover that they can sing and others who have limited mobility being able to follow the actions to a song. Music really is very powerful and manages to reach everybody in the room at some level.”

Over 40 people regularly attend Singing for the Mind including another Paul who cares for his wife. He describes the group as ‘great fun’ and ‘a nice place to attend because everybody is in the same boat and you don’t have to explain yourself’. He has found the group to be an invaluable source of information and has picked up many tips to help him navigate the care system. Paul recommends any carer who is thinking of attending Singing for the Mind to ‘most certainly come’ and how for many carers it is the only time they get to talk to other people.

Singing for the Mind takes place every Tuesday at 2.30pm at the United Reformed Church, Kings Road, Fleet. It costs £5 which includes refreshments – there is no charge for carers to attend. Booking is not required.