Canterbury Cantata Trust has been running a range of singing groups for the past 10 years. A strong focus of the charity’s work has been on Singing and Wellbeing, as exemplified by ‘Monday Music’ groups, open to anyone, that meet weekly in Canterbury and Folkestone, and are billed as a physical, psychological and spiritual workout through singing. The charity also operate a network of singing groups for people with Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions across the UK and beyond. Representative members from both a selection of groups in the Kent area and from the Trust’s flagship choral groups, Amici and Cantata Choirs, gathered the Colyer-Fergusson Hall at the University of Kent to demonstrate their vibrancy and the significance that coming together to sing means in their lives.
An exciting and groundbreaking new initiative will be opening on May 1st 2022. Based on the University of Kent’s Canterbury campus, the Parkinson's Centre for Integrated Therapy will provide free access to a range of evidence-based non-pharmacological treatments and complementary/wellness resources, so that multiple Parkinson’s symptoms can be managed all under one roof.
The Centre will offer groundbreaking new neurostimulation techniques delivered by Professor David Wilkinson’s team with wrap-around support including: group exercise, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, mental health advice, nutritional guidance, speech and sound therapy, group singing (provided by Sing to Beat Parkinson’s), Reiki, acupuncture and massage.
The work of the Centre will help better understand how the brain recovers from new treatment options – providing evidence to help open up therapeutic neurostimulation to everyone as part of routine clinical practice across the UK. We’ll also stand with people with Parkinson’s, researching, educating and advocating for the changes in treatment many so desperately need.
We will involve people living with Parkinson’s in the development of the Centre and will ensure their voice is heard in the design and delivery of research activities to make sure the Centre meets their needs.
"Catrin was a joy to mentor. The group loved her and we hope to welcome her back when we have the live sessions too. She came with lots of joie de vivre and great exercises and songs. I think she has come away with a good grasp of what it means to lead a STB group and she will only grow more confident once she takes up the reigns with her own sessions."
More mentor opportunities will be announced shortly. These are open to anyone who has been on our training.
