A gala has raised over one-thousand pounds in aid of a local mental health charity.

The money will be used to support a number of causes within mental heath charity Herefordshire Mind and their programme, which includes counselling services, peer support, and activities—such as music and art classes.

Sing out Strong is a Herefordshire organisation that runs a number of choirs and singing activities for the benefits of mental wellbeing. Set up in 2019 by Ross resident Emma Rowland, the focus is on inclusion and accessibility.

Its local choir, Border Belles, is based in Ross and currently comprises 75 women from Ross, Monmouth, Hereford, and the Forest, who meet weekly for fun, friendship and music-making.

In summer 2022, Border Belles joined with a second Sing out Strong choir, The Harmony Singers (Dinedor), and the Sing out Strong global choir, a “scratch choir” made up of singers from all over the world who met online during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sing out Strong ran free virtual choir projects throughout 2020 and 2021, reaching more that 11,000 singers in 100 countries and helping many people combat the isolation and uncertainty of lockdown.

The groups performed in August 2022 in a charity gala concert at Hereford Cathedral which featured many of the songs that the online choir had sung during lockdown, never before heard in person or performed for a live audience.

As Sing out Strong is a mental health organisation, all its fundraising goes to support the work of mental health charities. The gala concert was therefore in aid of Herefordshire Mind.

The choirs were delighted to report that they ended up raising £1,500 to donate to the charity. Two representatives from Herefordshire Mind, Alicia Lawrence (CEO) and Leona Patterson (Community Mental Health Transformation Manager) attended Border Belles’ choir practice on January 11 and the choir posed for an official handover photograph with a giant cheque, on behalf of Sing out Strong.

Mind Herefordshire raise awareness of mental health problems and support people experiencing them.

Border Belles choir meets at Bridstow Primary School every Wednesday night from 7.30–9.00pm during term times. It is open to all women over the age of 18 and there is no audition to join. For more information, visit www.singoutstrong.co.uk or search @BorderBellesChoir on Facebook.