Clients from Acorn Recovery Projects brought the joy of music to a Blackburn care home on Thursday, treating residents to an afternoon of singalong fun.
The musical moment took place at Andrews Court Care Home on Livesey Branch Road, where delighted residents enjoyed the inspirational performance.
Mark, part of the recovery choir, said: “Music is important to me and has been a great part of the recovery process. Singing puts you in a great mood, it’s a good way to relieve stress.”
The recovery choir is made up of clients from Acorn Recovery Projects, who are currently completing their residential rehab programme at Bank Parade in Burnley. As part of their programme, the group take part in music therapy every Thursday.
Residents – especially Mark’s mum-in-law Marian – enjoyed their afternoon of participating and singing along, giving their guests a loud round of applause after their performance finished – “Wonderful!”, one resident exclaimed.
The setlist included Three Little Birds by Bob Marley, One Day Like This by Elbow and Teardrops by Womack and Womack.
Iconic tunes from the past were also played to get the residents singing along. Childhood classics ‘Daisy Bell’ and ‘When the saints go marching in’ both proved popular – each purposely chosen to unlock residents’ memories of the past.
Nigel Clegg from Klok Wurk Music has been leading the group sessions since early this year. Discussing the performance, the musician said: “I’ve performed over 200 gigs in my time, and none are as rewarding as singing to older people.
“When you see them sat there sad, it’s nice to watch their faces light up as they begin to sing along. I’m so passionate about helping older people – especially those with dementia – to be able to unlock memories of the past”.
Inspiring others through lived experience
Nige himself re-discovered music during his time in rehab, after spending over 25 years in active addiction. He’s now finishing up his music production course at Spirit Studios and enjoying delivering his sessions to different audiences.
He said: “I used my story to get people involved and show how music can help. During my time in rehab, picking up a guitar helped get me out of my head”.
Acorn Recovery Projects offer residential rehab, supported housing and community services to help people break-free from alcohol and drug addictions. Part of The Calico Group, Acorn provide services around the northwest, including Burnley and Stockport.
Music therapy for substance abuse recovery was introduced at Acorn earlier this year, and in the time it’s been offered, it’s grown immensely in popularity. The sessions use music to promote connection to self and motivate change, whilst learning to navigate life in sobriety.
To find out more about Acorn’s services, please visit: acornrecovery.org.uk/ or call 0161 484 0000.
