OUR MOTTO – IF YOU CAN SPEAK YOU CAN SING

SING FROM THE HEART WAS SET UP IN JANUARY 2013 BECAUSE OUR SON KRISTIAN AND HIS FRIEND ALEXANDER WHO HAVE DOWN SYNDROME AND OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS WANTED TO SING IN A GROUP

I RESEARCHED THE INTERNET AND LOCAL EVENTS BUT THERE WAS NO ONE WHO COULD TAKE ADULTS WITH A DISABILITY IN OUR AREA. WE DECIDED TO GO ABOUT SETTING UP OUR OWN SINGING GROUP.  ALVIN AND I HAVE BEEN SINGING FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND KNOW JUST HOW BENEFICIAL IT CAN BE TO EVERYONE. I USED MY NETWORK OF CONTACTS AROUND DISABILITY AND ASKED IF ANYONE WOULD BE INTERESTED; I WAS INUNDATED WITH REQUESTS TO JOIN.  WE SET UP WITH A £500 GRANT FROM THE LORD MAYORS APPEAL AND WE HAVE GONE FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH.

OUR GROUP OF 12 SINGERS IS MADE UP OF ADULTS WITH LEARNING/PHYSICAL DISABILITIES, FROM AGE 16 UPWARDS WE REHEARSE EVERY FRIDAY 10AM -1PM ALL MY HELPERS MY HUSBAND AND MYSELF ARE ALL VOLUNTEERS, WE PERFORM AT DIFFERENT VENUES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND WE ARE IN GREAT DEMAND AT CHRISTMAS TIME.

OUR SINGERS ARE FROM ALL OVER YORKSHIRE AND THE SINGERS AND THEIR CARERS TELL US HOW MUCH THEY LOVE COMING AND SINGING WITH US AND THAT IT HAS INCREASED THEIR CONFIDENCE, INDEPENDENCE, RESPONSIBILITY, LEARNING ABILITY, SOCIALISATION, WORKING TOGETHER IN A GROUP,  AND TAKING INSTRUCTION

About

SING FROM THE HEART HAS BEEN GOING SINCE JANUARY 2013, AND ARE A THERAPEUTIC MUSIC GROUP.  MARALYN AND ALVIN ADEY SET UP THIS GROUP FOR ADULTS WITH LEARNING/PHYSICAL DISABILITIES BECAUSE THEIR SON KRISTIAN AND HIS FRIEND WANTED TO SING IN A GROUP OR CHOIR, THEY BOTH HAVE LEARNING AND PHYSICAL DISABILITIES. MARALYN  DID SOME RESEARCH AND THERE WERE NO GROUPS/CHOIRS IN THE AREA FOR ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES.  BOTH MARALYN AND ALVIN HAVE BEEN SINGING FOR OVER 20 YEARS IN VARIOUS CHOIRS.  MARALYN SENT EMAILS TO FRIENDS AND DISABILITY GROUPS TO SEE IF THERE WOULD BE ANY MORE INTERESTED PEOPLE OUT THERE AND GOT SUCH A POSITIVE RESPONSE THAT SHE DECIDED TO SET UP HER OWN GROUP WITH ALVIN AND CALLED IT ‘SING FROM THE HEART’.  MARALYN NOW HAS 12 SINGERS AND A WAITING LIST AND 5 VOLUNTEERS WORKING WITH HER.  THE GROUP PERFORM AT A BROAD RANGE OF EVENTS AND VENUES – ONE BEING DISABILITY ROCKS.

3 YEARS ON AND, SADLY, KRISTIAN PASSED AWAY MAY 2014 AND, AS HIS LEGACY, SING FROM THE HEART IS GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH.  WE HAVE 12 SINGERS NOW WHO RANGE IN AGE FROM 26 TO 60 AND 5 VOLUNTEERS – WE STILL HAVE A WAITING LIST.  

WE APPLIED TO THE CHARITY COMMISSIONERS FOR CHARITABLE STATUS, WHICH WAS  GRANTED IN AUGUST 2015, AND WE NOW HAVE A BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

IN 2013 WE WON AWARD FOR ‘THE BEST NEW COMMUNITY GROUP’ AND ‘BEST OVERALL COMMUNITY GROUP CALLED “COMMUNITY STARS”, WHICH WAS RUN BY BRADFORD COUNCIL.

WE ARE BEING ASKED TO DO MORE AND MORE PERFORMANCES AND HAVE RECENTLY BEEN PART OF BBC MUSIC LIVE. WE HAVE JUST DONE OUR SECOND YEAR AT DISABILITY ROCKS IN ILKLEY AND WE HAVE BOOKING UP TO DECEMBER 2016

WE REHEARSE AT

Equality Together, Manningham Mills, Lilycroft Rd, Manningham, BD9 5BD

Every Friday 10am – 1.00pm

Further information can be obtained from Maralyn and Alvin Adey 07770  882404

MEET THE TEAM

• Maralyn Adey – Musical Director
• Alvin Adey – Technical Production Manager
• Sue Harrison – Assistant Vocal Coach
• Sylvia Lumb – Volunteer
• Tracey McPhee – Volunteer
• Donna
• Linda

Board of Trustees

• Alvin Adey (Chair)
• Maralyn Adey (Vice Chair)
• Wendy Byron 
• Mark Nicholson (Advisor)
  
• Sue Harrison

Supporters

• Equality Together, Manningham Mills, BD9 5BD Bradford
• St James’s Church Thornton Bradford
• Inspiration Choir Leeds
• CHORUS
• Tech That Bradford
• Holy Trinity Church, Idle, Bradford
• SORM

Donators

• Choice Advocacy
• Mrs Coles
• Mrs Mackin
• Mrs Lumb
• Mrs Clegg
• Mr Farrar
• SSE Audio
• Peter Duke
• Awards for All
• West Riding Masonic Charities