Making music accessible to everyone in the community.
Power in the Community
- Over £200K raised since 2017
- Delivered over 160 projects
- Providing FREE singing workshops benefitting over 15,000 vulnerable children and adults
Our work in the community is reliant on the generosity of supporters like you. If you are able to make a donation, simply click on the button below.
The BIG Sing SOUL, which stands for ‘Singing, Outreach, Unity and Love’, is an extension of The BIG Sing vision and enables us to generate funding for vulnerable groups with financial freedom.
We want to capture what’s been created by The BIG Sing and take it to those who can’t get to a community choir, giving everyone an opportunity to sing motivating songs when they may not have considered it before and to enjoy the therapeutic qualities singing has.
Our aiM
Our vision
To reach out to every area of the community where The BIG Sing currently are with our charity.
Our Mission
Love – inspire people bringing them joy through music by sharing the love and passion for singing.
We have set ourselves a challenge for 2023 to raise £30,000 to enable us to continue to run our established projects and also fund more projects. We would love to be able to fund the following projects to reach more people where there is the greatest need.
- 4 more SOUL choirs
- 6 more TINY Sings
- more online resources in our library for schools and care homes
- launch a new choir for people with profound disabilities.
What's happening this month
DECEMBER
CHRISTMAS RAFFLE
- 12 amazing hampers to win
- Tickets £1.00 each or £5.00 for 6
- Draw 21 Dec
FREE CHRISTMAS CONCERTS
- FREE 30-minute YouTube videos of wonderful familiar songs people will love, from ‘Singing in the rain’, We’ll Meet Again’, along with festive cheer ‘Joy to the World’, ‘Away in a Manger’ and of course ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ plus many more.
SAVE ON SENDING CHRISTMAS CARDS
- SAVE ON PAPER AND STAMPS join our choir members who have opted to donate to our charity instead of sending Christmas Cards-we will use the funds to send online resources and choirs into care homes to bring them some festive cheer
What we do
THE BIG SING SOUL CURRENTLY RUN 3 FREE PROJECTS ACROSS COMMUNITIES, UNITING PEOPLE THROUGH MUSIC.
1)FREE online resources for pre-schools, schools, care homes, hospitals, vulnerable groups and those living with dementia. This project enables us to serve not only those areas where we have a BIG Sing choir but all communities within the UK, creating continuous support to children and vulnerable adults.
2)FREE SOUL Choirs during the day for people who cannot attend our evening Big Sing choirs, giving people the chance to learn new uplifting songs and connect with members of the community, helping to alleviate social isolation and to form new friendships.
3)FREE TINY Sing groups. A chance for 0-4 year olds to sing, move and play instruments along with a Big Sing Tutor. Followed by 45 minutes free-play, helping children interact and form new friendships gaining valuable social skills. This also gives parents/ carers a chance to form friendships and support each other, helping to reduce social isolation.
Our FREE Online Resources
Staying connected and reaching out to those in the community to use music to support mental health and wellbeing.
Flexible to use when you want, where you want, individually, in groups, face to face or virtually it’s a product to keep year after year. We are able to reach all counties across the UK and world wide via our online resources. Helping to spread the joy and positivity that music and singing uplifting songs can bring to everyone within the community.
We have 8 songs all taught via YouTube videos for teachers to use in classrooms. Featuring Makaton, body percussion and actions, the videos have full teaching of each song. With full lesson plans the teacher can pause and rewind and keep their students singing. Aimed at Primary School children and can be adapted to suit each Year group. Includes links to send home for remote learning or extra practice. Flexible to use when you want, where you want, across the whole school in group sizes of your choice and a product to keep year after year.
The resources are totally FREE as they are funded by Tesco Community Grants. Click FIND OUT MORE and apply.
Tesco Community Grants are managed by the community charity Groundwork UK.
TESTIMONIALS
Babies and toddlers age 0-4 years
The resources are totally FREE as they are funded by grants from Tesco Bags of Help Scheme and CO-OP Community Foundation. Click FIND OUT MORE for more details or go straight to APPLY NOW and get the children you support singing!
FREE!
We have a FREE programme of music resources to underpin Early Years Foundation Stage for all UK Pre-Schools, Nurseries, Community groups looking after babies and children age 0-4 years as well as groups supporting vulnerable families like Home-Start, Barnardos, Action for children.
DO YOU SUPPORT BABIES AND CHILDREN AGE 0-4 YEARS?
Our online resources are not limited to pre-schools and nurseries. They are also great for face to face groups or using in virtual sessions (e.g. Zoom) to connect with vulnerable families that cannot attend face to face groups, so they too can stay connected and avoid isolation. If you support babies and children age 0-4 years then you can apply for our FREE resources too!
Home Start Essex Testimonial:
“Thank you so much for helping us with this project, our families really enjoyed all the instrument packs and who knows, maybe we have some future popstars in the making.”
The BIG Sing Online resources for Seniors, vulnerable adults and those living with Dementia.
Access to FREE YouTube videos of wonderful familiar songs your residents will love, from ‘We’ll Meet Again’, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, ‘Jail House Rock’ to The Supremes ‘Baby Love’ plus many more. You can join in with the BIG Sing tutor or sit back, relax and enjoy the singing. More resources will be added soon.
The resources are totally FREE as they are funded by Tesco Community Grants.
big sing soul daytime choirs IN ESSEX
FREE SINGING FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY
Do you love SINGING? Does music make you HAPPY? Do you want to meet new people and make new friends?
Come and join The BIG Sing as we are opening our BRAND new daytime choirs in HALSTEAD and GREAT DUNMOW
They are choirs with a difference! A great opportunity to learn new songs, connect with members of your community and have some time for YOU!
No fees, no auditions and tickets are FREE but please pre-book so we know you are coming.
Halstead’s BIG Sing SOUL FREE Daytime Choir
Queens Hall, Chipping Hill, Halstead, CO9 2BY
Tuesday mornings (except 1st Tuesday every month)
10 til 12 noon
UPCOMING DATES
July 11, 18, 25: August 8, 15, 22: September 12, 19, 26
October 10, 17, 24, 31 November 14, 21, 28: December 12, 19
Burnham on Crouch’s BIG Sing SOUL FREE Daytime Choir
Studio on the Quay, Burnham on Crouch, CM0 8AT
Wednesday mornings (except 1st Wednesday every month)
10.30am til 12.30pm
UPCOMING DATES
July 12, 19, 26: August 9, 16, 23: September 13, 20, 27
October 11, 18, 25: November 8, 15, 22, 29: December 13, 20
ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE BIG SING DIRECTORS GEMMA AND HOWARD FRANCIS
Open to everyone but you may relate to one of these…
- Do you work shifts and can’t get to an evening choir?
- Maybe you have a disability and find evening transport tricky or fear the dark and need daytime activities?
- Are you a parent who cannot leave your children at night but can spare a few hours in the day to be YOU not mum or dad! Bring the children with you – they are welcome and we have space for babies and tots with musical instruments so they can join in too!
- Are you retired and looking for things to do during the day that will keep you connected in the community and create new friendships
- Whatever your reason our daytime choirs welcome everyone in the community age 16+
SEE WHAT OUR SOUL DAYTIME CHOIR MEMBERS SAY ABOUT THEIR VIRTUAL SINGING REHEARSALS!
Great Dunmow’s BIG Sing SOUL FREE Daytime Choir
The Maltings, 11 Mill Lane, Great Dunmow, CM6 1BG
Wednesday afternoons (except first Wednesday of every month)
Wednesdays 12:30 til 2:30pm
UPCOMING DATES
July 12, 19, 26: August 9, 16, 23: September 13, 20, 27
October 11, 18, 25: November 8, 15, 22, 29: December 13, 20
Listen to what our BIG Singers say about the benefits of joining our choirs
Are you a parent who needs some ME time? Our daytime choirs welcome you with or without the kids.
Are you retired, or just got time on your hands?
Do you have health problems or disabilities which make evening choirs a challenge or d’you just hate going out in the dark?
Do you work shifts, or work from home and need a break from your desk?
REHEARSAL GUIDELINES BIG SING SOUL DAYTIME CHOIRS
Here are our guidelines for attending BIG Sing SOUL Rehearsals:
1) Please book online – this is so we know how many of you are coming and also acts as our emergency list should we need to evacuate the premises. If you have problems booking online then please email info@big-sing.com and we will help find a solution.
2) Lyrics – we are now paperless. So please download your lyrics to your devices or print off at home. If you need help with this just email admin@bigsingsoul.org.uk.
3) Respect – everyone is welcome at our rehearsals – please treat everyone you meet with respect and politeness.
4) Please book up as soon as you know you can make it to a rehearsal so we know how many to expect.
Reviewed September 2022
How to get involved
We largely rely on the support from individual donors, trusts, foundations and corporate sponsorship. Read more below about how you can help give the therapeutic benefits of singing to a vulnerable adult or child.
FUNDRAISE
Would you like to raise funds for our charity by holding an event or doing an activity? Whether it’s a sponsored walk, marathon, cake sale or a daring Skydive talk to us about how we can support your event with sponsorship forms and promoting it.
Other ways to get involved
GIVEASYOULIVE
Did you know you can raise money for our charity simply by joining Give as You Live, it’s free to register and you just spend what you would have done, so no extra cost to you, but a donation to us! Whether it’s high street retailers, booking a trip away or insurance, you can raise money for The BIG Sing SOUL with every online purchase you make and it’s completely FREE!
Music benefits everyone, as early as babies in their mother’s womb to those living with dementia.
If you’d like to donate by post, simply send a cheque made payable to The BIG Sing SOUL, to 4 Buttercup Way, Southminster, Essex CM0 7RZ.
SPREAD THE WORD
We want to reach more beneficiaries. One of the easiest ways to help us is to promote what we do in your community. So if you know a nursery, school or a community group supporting vulnerable adults or children tell them about our cause and encourage them to get in touch.
Want to know more? Contact: emma@bigsingsoul.org.uk or call: 07598 402658
WAYS TO VOLUNTEER
Do you have fundraising experience? Worked in a charity? Got some spare time? Please get in touch and see how you can help our charity. We are always looking for a more diverse range of skills, experience and knowledge.
STAYCATION OFFER
Holiday home for rental in Woodhall Spa, a little haven on the edge of the Wolds, outdoor Kinema, Tearooms and buzzing village yet close to amazing coastline and Lincoln with it’s magnificent castle. If you’re looking to book that all important staycation No 11 Tarleton has achieved an amazing balance between perfect luxury and simple convenience. Situated in the heart of town, we provide everything you need to enjoy your stay.
Any BIG Sing bookings result in 5% donation to SOUL from the proprietors.
ESSEX LOTTERY
Try your luck in the weekly lottery just £1 PER TICKET
60% of the proceeds go to causes so if you choose The BIG Sing SOUL as your charity we receive 50p for every ticket purchased and 10p goes to other causes in Essex. The remaining 40p goes to the prize fund.
There’s a £25,000 grand prize JACKPOT and it could be yours by matching all 6 numbers
BOOKING A TRIP/HOLIDAY
If you’re looking to book that all important staycation or holiday abroad look no further than Your Great Adventures and let them take the hassle out of finding somewhere. Franchise of Explorer Travel, ABTA bonded, ATOL protected, and independent with a personal service to tailor the booking to your specific requirements this service comes at no additional cost to you. With every booking they want to support our charity with a % of their profit you’ve nothing to lose!
A BIG ‘THANK YOU’ to our volunteers – over £200,000 raised
Thank you to each and every volunteer for their contribution, here are some highlight………..
If you have an idea of how we could raise funds or if you would like to volunteer please get in touch
We would like to thank and acknowledge these organisations who have supported us:
With special thanks to Experience Days for their support.
Pride of Essex Awards
2018
2018 – Witham Fundraising Team
The BIG Sing SOUL is a project administered by the charity Imagine the Day who along with the BIG Sing have Christian values.
They have a board of trustees dedicated to ensuring the charity is regulated in line with the charity commission.
Imagine the Day Limited: Registered Limited Company in England and Wales 04942225
Registered Head Office: The Rock, International Drive, Solihull, West Midlands B90 4WA
Registered Charity: 1100673