Dementia Sings Out, the free dementia singing group from Wellingborough that now meets weekly in East Hunsbury, has won the King's Award for Voluntary Service.
Dementia Sings Out, the charity that runs free weekly singing sessions for people living with dementia and their carers, has won the King’s Award for Voluntary Service 2026.
The group began in Wellingborough in 2019 and opened a second weekly session in Northampton in September, at the Abbey Centre Chapel in East Hunsbury. It is one of two Northamptonshire winners this year, alongside Restore Northampton, in a list of award winners published on Saturday 14 November, the King’s birthday.
The award is the highest a local volunteer group can receive in the UK and is held for life. The charity says its volunteers give more than 3,000 hours a year.
‘I get my mother back for an hour’
Each session is an hour of singing, followed by refreshments and time for carers to sit down, talk and share what they are going through. The sessions are free and are also streamed on Zoom for people who cannot get there.
One daughter who cares for her mother told the charity: “What I love about Thursday mornings is that I get my mother back for an hour.”
The charity says a care home resident who had been assessed as non-verbal for more than three months began singing within minutes of joining in with the music.
A regular choir member living with dementia wrote to the organisers: “Everyone is so friendly and welcoming, I have made so many friends. Music is good for the soul and brain and it really helps me and lifts my mood.
“Living with dementia can sometimes be very difficult but being able to come to a social group, that isn’t like any other, helps our social skills improve and we can leave the outside world behind for a short while. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”
A husband caring for his wife, Pat, who has lost most of her speech, wrote after their first visit that he “was truly astounded at the enjoyment she had by coming and was singing and kept asking me when we could go again”.
He said Pat had suffered “dreadful dreams” every night for about a year. “Unbelievably, last night she slept from 8:30 til I woke her at 9:00 this morning. Just incredible. Not a single whisper from her. What singing does for the mind.”
The Northampton session
The Northampton group meets every Monday from 10.30am to 12 noon at the Abbey Centre Chapel, 10 Overslade Close, East Hunsbury, NN4 0RZ. It is free for people living with dementia and for their carers, family and friends, and there is no need to book or to be able to sing. The venue has parking, step-free access and an accessible toilet, and the musical host is Simon from Sunset Magic, the charity says.
Weekly attendance there is already in the mid-60s, according to the charity, which says it is looking for larger premises to cope with demand.
The original session runs every Thursday at the same time at Compass Church, 2-4 Meadow Close, Wellingborough, NN8 4BH. Anyone wanting to know what to expect first can email dementiasingsout@gmail.com.
The numbers behind the award
The Wellingborough sessions recorded 9,062 attendances in 2025, according to the charity’s press pack: 6,112 in person and 2,950 on Zoom. That was up from 6,619 in 2024, a rise of about 37%, and the charity says 2026 is on track to match or beat it.
Members sang more than 1,000 songs last year and, the charity says, did 48 of its “love trains”.
The sessions are paid for by grants, fundraising and donations, including money from The National Lottery Community Fund and Northamptonshire Community Foundation. Two music directors lead the singing; everything else is done by volunteers.
What the chair and the assessor said
Garry Bowe, chair of the trustees, said: “We are absolutely delighted! This award means the world to us because it’s a celebration of the incredible people who make DSO what it is. Our volunteers are the heart and soul of this charity. They give their time so generously, but it’s their warmth, kindness and genuine care for every person who walks through our doors that makes DSO so special.
“We often talk about the DSO magic, and it’s hard to put into words until you experience it. It’s the smiles, the laughter, the friendships and those wonderful moments when music reaches someone in a way that words sometimes can’t. We’re one big family, and we couldn’t be prouder!”
Peter Bason MBE, who assessed the charity for the award, wrote: “The impact achieved through its volunteer-led model is outstanding. The structured use of singing as a therapeutic tool delivers consistent wellbeing benefits, restores confidence and reduces isolation for people living with dementia, while providing meaningful peer support for carers.”
He also singled out how the charity removes barriers to coming along: “Free provision, transport support and live-streamed participation remove financial, physical and geographical barriers, significantly extending reach to vulnerable older people and care settings.”
The Lord-Lieutenant’s citation for the award says volunteer drivers and subsidised taxis help people with mobility or transport problems get to sessions, and that Admiral Nurses from Alzheimer’s Society regularly attend. It says the trustees alone give more than 1,300 volunteer hours a year, and that the charity has National Lottery funding secured until 2028 and reserves covering more than three years of running costs.
The actress Vicky McClure MBE, who founded Our Dementia Choir, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to hear about Dementia Sings Out & its success, it’s what it’s all about!”
What carers and care homes say
“Every Thursday is a party at DSO,” one carer said. Another wrote: “We sung ourselves hoarse! Anyone feeling down should go along for the sheer joy of the morning, it’s both invaluable & heart-warming.”
A third said: “I was completely bowled over. I am naturally shy but I felt safe & incredibly comfortable.”
Sharon and Margaret wrote: “Thank you so much for all of your hard work & efforts. The quality fun time you provide for mum & I each week is invaluable.”
Jackie Stapleton, activity champion at Lancum House care home, said staff had seen “some residents singing along who wouldn’t normally join in and even a couple of them dancing along too”.
Hayley Cook of Dementia Days said: “People living with dementia thrive in this type of environment as it not only brings a wonderful amount of joy to each person but also helps to build their confidence, reduce anxious or agitated behaviour & keep their brain active. Many of the songs that are sung bring back memories for the members.”
Pictures from the sessions
13 photos, swipe or scroll. Photos: supplied by Dementia Sings Out
Dementia Sings Out is registered charity number 1186115. Details of both sessions, volunteering and donations are on the charity’s website.
Source: Dementia Sings Out.
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