​We'd love to hear from you!
If you would like to know more about Goldies Cymru - where the sessions are, perhaps starting a session in your area, or helping us to run a Sing&Smile session please contact our Programme Leader - Cheryl Davies on 07860 944410 or email: cheryl@goldiescymru.org.uk
Welcome to the website of Goldies CYMRU although most people now fondly refer to us just as "Goldies." As you can see from the many images on this website, we are putting smiles on hundreds of faces through our daytime singing and activity sessions. These take place across South Wales working in partnership with a number of other organisations. If you would like to know more about starting a daytime singing and activity session in your area, please contact Cheryl Davies.

Everyone is welcome at our Goldies CYMRU sessions. We are not a choir but we do use the popular hits of the 50's onwards at our sessions to get people singing out and (quite often!) getting up to dance. We ask everyone who attends to make a minimum £3 donation.
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With the support of the Big Lottery Fund Wales, The Moondance Foundation, The Paul & Nick Harvey Fund administered by The Utley Foundation and Music for Dementia and GVS – Third Sector Preventative Interventions - we will be adding more sessions in the months ahead across Wales. Click to discover where they are.

Cheryl Davies is our Goldies Cymru Programme Leader

Leading Goldies CYMRU is Cheryl Davies who originally comes from Aberdare, where she developed her skills on voice and piano and performed throughout South Wales.  At the University of Surrey Roehampton Cheryl attained a BA (Hons) in Music and settled back in South West Wales, where she taught private piano and voice lessons for over 10 years.  After working as a group coordinator for a dementia charity, Cheryl was Goldies Cymru Project Manager and is now our Programme Leader for Goldies Cymru. 
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Email: cheryl@goldiescymru.org.uk


MEET OUR BRILLIANT SESSION LEADERS
​ If you would like to be a session leader for Goldies Cymru as we develop our work across Wales then please contact Cheryl Davies.

ANDY ROBERTS
Andy has had a love of music since childhood when he inherited a clarinet and sang in school choirs. After taking up the saxophone he became a founder member of the community jazz band Wonderbrass before joining ukulele skiffle group Gaudy Orde on washboard.  Andy is also a DJ with a weekly show on Radio Cardiff and has hosted many club nights and parties ranging from jazz, soul, funk and ska to Middle Eastern beats and bellydance.    He retired from the day job in 2021 after more than 30 years as a journalist with BBC Wales to spend more time on music. "Goldies is right up my street," Andy says, adding that he's been made to feel very welcome by long-standing Goldies members at the sessions he's now leading.

AMRUTA GARAD
Originally from India, Amruta moved to Cardiff 9 years ago. She is qualified experienced Indian Classical Music Teacher and an examiner. Amruta believes “music has no language other than love!”
BILL SAVAGE
Bill is a retired secondary school teacher who has mainly taught Physical Education, History, (particular interest in WW1) Religious Education and Lifeskills, as well as having a Senior Pastoral Position. He has always had an interest in singing from being a boy chorister in a church choir. During his teaching career he took part in school productions including the Pirates of Penzance and Iolanthe. In 2000 he joined the 'Singlive Central Choir', a mass choir which had choirs in many parts of the UK. The organisation enthused and enhanced his love of singing and since moving to Llanelli he has become a member of 'Vocal Harmony', Llanelli and 'Sounds Original'.

​CATH HUGHES
Coming from a musical family, I enjoyed being in various choirs and orchestras growing up- either on the trumpet, trombone or harmonising. Recently I have a life long passion for dance and have recently started leading fun dancercise! classes, to feel good. I love the community spirit, connection and joy that the singing and movement groups have brought. So I was delighted to join Goldies to spread the good feeling that music brings


CLAIRE THOMAS
Claire has always enjoyed singing and has been a member of various choirs over the years. Wanting to get more involved with the local community she felt Goldies was the perfect opportunity to do this and combine it with her love of singing. ​

EMMA HINGLEY
I’ve always been very bubbly and outgoing, I love singing and love people and it’s a chance to get involved with local people and bring some joy into their lives.  I’ve had many jobs in my life and worked for myself.  I lost my mum a couple of years ago whom I cherished, and now I just want to make people smile, take some time and make them happier.

​GEOFF ASHFORD
Geoff is a retired engineer who has lived with his family in Cardiff for 27 years. As a keen amateur musician he plays guitar, enjoys singing and is a member of Cardiff City Voices Choir. In 2013 he completed a tutor’s course run by Community Music Wales which he hopes will help his contribution to Goldies CYMRU.
NAOMI BISHOP
Naomi is a busy mum of 4, who lives in Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, having moved to Wales from Bristol 14 years ago to enjoy a country life and raise a family.  She currently works part time as a Business Development Manager for a cloud based learning company. She has previously worked in management and training & development where she has delivered & facilitated group sessions.  Her favourite part is always getting to know people.  She believes everyone has much to offer and that community is important.  She currently volunteers as an activities coordinator for the women of her local church and runs many events throughout the year ranging from music appreciation evenings, to Summer barbecue and Christmas carol singing.  
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SHELLEY MORRIS
Shelley Morris is a retired Community and Youth Worker and a Professional Muscian. My love of music and singing started early in my childhood, coming from a Welsh speaking family where my Mothers and Sisters would sing together Welsh hymns and folk songs. This continued with me being inspired by the Beatles where upon I took up playing Drum and Percussion in the late 60’s, 70’s and continues today..
 
My life in London and Wales working in the community enabled me to continue playing and singing, being part of many bands, recording and performing. My love of drumming took me on a journey through RnB, Soul, Jazz, Hip Hop, Folk, Pop ...etc.
 
I bring with me to Goldies my love of people playing music and singing  together and the Joy it brings to us all.
SUE THOMAS
Susanna runs a library but this doesn't stop her singing at work. She was already running sing-a-longs at several residential homes and an evening 'Singing for Pleasure' session at the library when she heard about Goldies and contacted us to get involved. Susanna has no formal training in singing but understands the goodwill that singing promotes and the sense of community and involvement that Goldies sessions offer. She puts an element of fun into her sessions to ensure everybody feels included and is not self conscious. "It's not just good for your physical health, it's good for your emotional health too. Pop along and join in, you'll be very welcome".
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ASHLEY NEWSHAM
Ashley is Dance Co-ordinator for Arts Care Gofal Celf.  Her roles include running and organising dance groups for adults with learning disabilities as well as dance for health and wellbeing for people with neurological conditional and limited mobility.  She has a passion for creating opportunities for people of all walks of life to come together to be creative and be together.
STEVE DARBY
Music has been a big part of family and community life for me from an early age and still is.  I’m thankful for the gift of music and love to share it and enjoy it with others.  Music has featured strongly in my previous work as a primary school teacher and now in serving as a church pastor in our local community.  I play and teach guitar and enjoy rock, pop, folk, blues, jazz and classical styles.  I also like to play piano and drums.  I love singing, especially with others, and often have my guitar with me.  I’m grateful to be part of the ‘Goldies’ team and look forward to meeting those who will come along and to share music together.

Grenville Jones D.Litt -  our Founder and Chief Officer

Grenville is well-known and respected as one of the leading choir conductors in the UK. He has appeared on Radio and TV across the world through his work with Goldies and his growing reputation of getting people of all ages to sing! In July 2012 he received an honorary doctorate from Bath Spa University in recognition of his reputation for bringing music to all age groups. Grenville is proud of the fact that Goldies now has a team of over 70 talented session leaders across England and Wales.
He is founder conductor of The City of Bath Male Choir, which he started in February 2006, who reached the Top 5 and national acclaim in the BBC Last Choir Standing series. Over 1500 people enjoy singing in his various choirs plus, of course, over 2,000 Goldies. 
His theme tune? I Want to Teach The World to Sing - Keep up to date with all his music projects on www.grenvillejones.biz
Email: grenville@goldiescymru.org.uk

Sir Cliff Richard OBE - Goldies Patron


​Sir Cliff Richard OBE is Patron of the Golden-Oldies Charity. He is a much loved singer, musician, performer, actor and philanthropist. He is the third-top-selling singles artist in the United Kingdom's history, with total sales of over 21 million units in the UK and has reportedly sold an estimated 250 million records worldwide.
Over a career spanning more than 50 years, Cliff has become a fixture of the British entertainment world, amassing many gold and platinum discs and awards, including three Brit Awards and two Ivor Novello Awards. He has had more than 130 singles, albums and EPs make the UK Top 20, more than any other artist and holds the record (with Elvis Presley) as the only act to make the UK singles charts in all of its first six decades (1950s–2000s).