​PRESS RELEASE
 
Wednesday 2 March 2022
 
Songs&Smiles are back!
 
With Covid rules relaxed across Wales the popular Goldies Cymru Charity has announced that it is bringing back its Songs&Smiles fun daytime sessions for older isolated people. Prior to Covid Goldies Cymru sessions took place across South Wales. When they were forced to stop the Charity introduced its www.goldieslive.com sofa-singing sessions for people to join in at home.
 
GoldiesLive has continued for the past 18 months with sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays plus an additional Welsh-speaking monthly session.
 
Goldies founder, Grenville Jones said;
 
“We were very aware of the fact that many of the people who attended our daytime sessions prior to Covid lived lives that were lonely. If they were isolated before then Covid most certainly added to that loneliness.
 
“We work with many Wales-based organisations on the introduction of GoldiesLive and I am delighted that we are now able to bring back some of our daytime sessions with the intention of adding many more in the months ahead. We will however continue with GoldiesLive session through to the end of this year.”
 
Rachel Parry is the Programme Leader for Goldies Cymru which is supported by the Moondance Foundation who are based in Cardiff. Rachel said;
 
“We are delighted that our first popular Goldies Cymru daytime sessions are starting back again this month (March) after the pandemic-enforced break.
 
“If you enjoy a good old singalong to those well-loved hits of the 50s onwards, pop along to your nearest session, make friends and ENJOY. We are a Registered Charity and do ask please for all those attending to make a £3 donation to our work so we can extend our session reaching older isolated people across Wales.”
 
The sessions that are starting this month are:
 
RHYMNEY, GWENT at the Ael Y Bryn sports and community centre, Aneurin Terrace, Rhymney, Gwent, NP22 5DR on the Last Wednesday of the month from 12.00-1.00pm with Carol Pegler as session leader.
 
TREDEGAR at the Tredegar Library, The Circle, Tredegar, Gwent, NP22 3PS on the Second Tuesday of the month from 12.00–1.00pm led by  Carol Pegler.
 
BRIDGEND  St Theodore’s Church, High Street, Kenfig Hill, Bridgend, Glamorgan CF33 6DR on the Second Tuesday of the month from 11.00-12.00pm with session leader, Cheryl Davies.
CARDIFF in WHITCHURCH  at Ararat Baptist Church, Plas Treoda, Whitchurch, Cardiff, CF14 1PT on the First Monday of the month from 2.00-3.00pm with our session leader Geoff Ashford.
 
RHYDYPENNAU – CARDIFF Park End Church of Wales, Llandennis Road, Rhydypennau, Cardiff, CF23 6EG - This is A WEEKLY SESSION, EVERY Thursday from 10.30-11.30am with session leader Sue Thomas.
 
RHIWBINA – CARDIFF at Rhiwbina Library, Pen-y-Dre, Rhiwbina, Cardiff, CF14 6EH on the Third Wednesday of the month from 10.30-11.30am with Rachel Parry as session leader.
 
CARMARTHENSHIRE at NEWCASTLE EMLYN Holy Trinity Church Community Hall, Church Lane, Newcastle Emlyn, SA38 9AM  on the Last Monday of the month from 11.00-12.00pm with Claire Thomas as the session leader.
 
NEATH - PORT TALBOT a DEMENTIA SUPPORTIVE session at Tabernacle Chapel, 14 Thomas St, Pontardawe, Swansea SA8 4HD on the  First Thursday of the month from 11.00-12.00pm with Naomi Bishop as session leader.
 
THE VALE at DINAS POWYS,  please note - this is CLOSED TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC and is in partnership with with C3SC - Cardiff Third Sector Council Murchfield Community Centre, Sunnycroft Lane, Dinas Powys, CF64 4QQ sessions as requested with Rachel Parry​.
 
LLANTWIT MAJOR at Lantonian Hall, behind Llantwit Major Rugby FC, off Boverton Road, Llantwit Major, CF61 1TF on the Third Monday of the month from 10.30am - 11.30am with Geoff Ashford.
 
WATCH OUT for more sessions to be added soon.
 
If you want to know more call Rachel Parry on 07796 714816.
 
ENDS
 
Image shows : Sing&Smile with the Goldies Cymru Charity.
 
Press enquiries to Rachel Parry on 07796 714816.

​DATGANIAD I’R WASG
 
Dydd Mercher 2 Mawrth 2022
 
Caneuon&Gwenau yn ôl!
 
Gyda rheolau Covid wedi llacio ar draws Cymru, cyhoeddodd elusen boblogaidd Goldies Cymru ei bod yn dod â’i sesiynau hwyliog Caneuon&Gwenau yn ôl ar gyfer pobl hŷn ac ynysig. Cynhelid sesiynau Goldies Cymru yn ystod y dydd ledled De Cymru cyn y cyfnod Covid. Pan y’u gorfodwyd i ddod i ben, cyflwynodd yr elusen ei sesiynau canu soffa www.goldieslive.com i bobl ymuno â nhw o’u cartrefi.
 
Mae GoldiesLive wedi parhau am y 18 mis diwethaf gyda sesiynau ar ddyddiau Mawrth a Iau ynghyd â sesiwn fisol Gymraeg ychwanegol.
 
Dywedodd Grenville Jones, sefydlydd Goldies:
 
“Roeddem yn ymwybodol iawn fod llawer o’r bobl a fynychai ein sesiynau yn ystod y dydd cyn Covid yn byw bywydau unig. Os oeddent yn ynysig cyn hynny, yna fe wnaeth Covid yn bendant ychwanegu at yr unigrwydd hwnnw.
 
“Rydym yn gweithio gyda llawer o sefydliadau yng Nghymru i gyflwyno GoldiesLive ac rwyf wrth fy modd y gallwn ddod â rhai o’n sesiynau yn ystod y dydd yn ôl gyda’r bwriad o ychwanegu llawer mwy yn y misoedd i ddod. Fodd bynnag, byddwn yn parhau gyda sesiwn GoldiesLive tan ddiwedd eleni.”
 
Rachel Parry yw Arweinydd Rhaglen Goldies Cymru a gefnogir gan Sefydliad Moondance sydd â’u pencadlys yng Nghaerdydd. Dywedodd Rachel:
 
“Rydym yn falch iawn fod ein sesiynau cyntaf Goldies Cymru poblogaidd yn ailddechrau y mis hwn (Mawrth) ar ôl y seibiant a orfodwyd gan y pandemig.
 
“Os ydych yn mwynhau cyd-ganu gyda’r hen ffefrynnau o’r 50au ymlaen, ewch draw i’ch sesiwn agosaf, gwneud ffrindiau a MWYNHAU. Rydym yn elusen gofrestredig ac yn gofyn i’r rhai sy’n mynychu fod cystal â rhoi cyfraniad o £3 at ein gwaith fel y gallwn ymestyn ein sesiynau gan gyrraedd pobl hŷn ynysig ar draws Cymru.”
 
Y sesiynau sy’n dechrau y mis hwn yw:
 
RHYMNI, GWENT yng nghanolfan chwaraeon a chymunedol Ael y Bryn, Aneurin Terrace, Rhymni, Gwent, NP22 5DR ar ddydd Mercher olaf y mis rhwng 12.00-1.00pm gyda Carol Pegler yn arwain y sesiwn.
 
TREDEGAR yn Llyfrgell Tredegar, Y Cylch, Tredegar, Gwent, NP22 3PS ar ail ddydd Mawrth y mis rhwng 12.00-1.00pm gyda Carol Pegler yn arwain.
 
PEN-Y-BONT AR OGWR Eglwys St Theodore, Stryd Fawr, Mynydd Cynffig, Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr, CF33 6DR ar ail ddydd Mawrth y mis rhwng 11.00-12.00pm gyda Cheryl Davies yn arwain y sesiwn.
 
CAERDYDD yn yr EGLWYS NEWYDD yn Eglwys Bedyddwyr Ararat, Plas Treoda, Eglwys Newydd, Caerdydd CF14 1PT ar ddydd Llun cyntaf y mis rhwng 2.00-3.00pm gyda Geoff Ashford yn arwain y sesiwn.
 
RHYDYPENNAU – CAERDYDD Eglwys yng Nghymru Park End, Heol Llandennis, Rhydypennau, Caerdydd, CF23 6EG – Mae hon yn SESIWN WYTHNOSOL, bob dydd Iau rhwng 10.30-11.30am gyda Sue Thomas yn arwain y sesiwn.
 
RHIWBEINA – CAERDYDD yn Llyfrgell Rhiwbeina, Pen-y-Dre, Rhiwbeina, Caerdydd, CF14 6EH ar drydydd dydd Mercher y mis rhwng 10.30-11.30am gyda Rachel Parry yn arwain y sesiwn.
 
SIR GAERFYRDDIN  CASTELL NEWYDD EMLYN Neuadd Gymunedol Eglwys y Drindod Sanctaidd, Lôn yr Eglwys, Castell Newydd Emlyn, SA38 9AM ar ddydd Llun olaf y mis rhwng 11.00-12.00pm gyda Claire Thomas yn arwain y sesiwn.
 
CASTELL NEDD – PORT TALBOT sesiwn CEFNOGI DEMENTIA yng Nghapel Tabernacl,
14 Stryd Thomas, Pontardawe, Abertawe SA8 4HD ar ddydd Iau cyntaf y mis rhwng 11.00-12.00pm gyda Naomi Bishop yn arwain y sesiwn.
 
BRO MORGANNWG  DINAS POWYS,  dylid nodi fod hyn AR GAU I’R CYHOEDD ac fe’i cynhelir mewn partneriaeth gyda C3SC – Cyngor Trydydd Sector Caerdydd Canolfan Gymunedol Murchfield, Sunnycroft Lane, Dinas Powys, CF64 4QQ sesiynau yn ôl y cais gyda Rachel Parry.
 
LLANILLTUD FAWR yn Neuadd Lantonian, tu ôl i Glwb Rygbi Llanilltud Fawr, ger Heol Boverton, Llanilltud Fawr, CF61 1TF ar drydydd dydd Llun y mis rhwng 10.30am - 11.30am gyda Geoff Ashford.
 
CADWCH EICH LLYGAID AR AGOR – caiff mwy o sesiynau eu hychwanegu yn fuan.
 
Os hoffech wybod mwy ffoniwch Rachel Parry ar 07796 714816.
 
DIWEDD
 
Llun: Canu&Gwenu gydag elusen Goldies Cymru
 
Ymholiadau’r wasg i Rachel Parry ar 07796 714816.

DATGANIAD I’R WASG
 
Dydd Mercher Rhagfyr 1 2021
 
Caneuon Soffa Nadolig AUR
 
Pan orfodwyd 220 o sesiynau canu poblogaidd GOLDIES yn ystod y dydd ar draws Lloegr a Chymru ym mis Mawrth 2020 oherwydd Covid, trodd yr elusen at y rhyngrwyd a lansio “canu soffa” ar Facebook ac YouTube gyda sesiynau ddwywaith yr wythnos gyda holl ganeuon Goldies poblogaidd o’r 70au ac ymlaen.
 
Caiff sesiynau GoldiesLIVE.com eu darlledu ar ddyddiau Mawrth ac Iau bob wythnos a chânt eu harwain gan Rachel a Cheryl, dwy o arweinwyr sesiwn poblogaidd yr elusen. Ychwanegwyd sesiwn ychwanegol yn y Gymraeg, dan arweiniad Sian, yn yr hydref diwethaf. Mae sesiynau GoldiesLIVE.com yn cyrraedd cannoedd o bobl mewn partneriaeth gyda llawer o grwpiau cymorth i’r henoed, sefydliadau i bobl hŷn, cartrefi ymddeol, awdurdodau lleol a chynghorau tref.
 
Yn ystod yr Nadolig bydd yr holl alawon hoff ar gael ar Goldies LIVE.com gyda rhifyn Nadolig arbennig ar Noswyl Nadolig. Dywedodd Rachel Parry, arweinydd rhaglen Goldies:
 
“Mae hwn yn amser mor unig ar gyfer llawer o bobl hŷn y mae Covid wedi effeithio hyd yn oed fwy ar eu bywydau. Gobeithiwn y bydd llawer yn mwynhau eu Nadolig gyda ni a rydym eisiau ymestyn allan i bawb, yn arbennig deuluoedd a chymdogion pobl sy’n ynysig a hoffwn atgoffa pawb y gellir edrych eto a mwynhau’r sesiynau ar YouTube ar unrhyw amser.”
 
Mae elusen Goldies wedi ailddechrau rhai sesiynau yn Lloegr ac mae cynlluniau ar y gweill i gynyddu eu nifer drwy 2022. Ni chaiff sesiynau eu caniatáu yng Nghymru ar hyn o bryd er fod yr elusen yn barod i ailddechrau pan y caiff rheolau eu llacio.
 
Bu GoldiesLIVE.com yn bosibl oherwydd cefnogaeth y Loteri Genedlaethol yn Lloegr a Chymru, Ymddiriedolaeth Gymunedol Cod Post a Sefydliad Moondance yng Nghymru.
 
DIWEDD
 
Yn y llun gwelir Rachel Parry a Cheryl Davies, arweinwyr sesiwn GoldiesLive .
 
Ymholiadau i Grenville Jones, sefydlydd Goildies 0777 828 2934 - [email protected]
 
 
PRESS RELEASE
 
Wednesday December 1 2021
 
GOLDEN Christmas sofa songs
 
When Covid forced the closure of the 220 popular GOLDIES Sing and Smile daytime FUN singalongs across England and Wales in March 2020, the charity then turned to the internet and launched “sofa singing” via Facebook and YouTube with twice-weekly sessions featuring all those popular Goldies songs of the 70s and onwards.
 
GoldiesLIVE.com sessions go out on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week and are led by two of the charity’s popular session leaders, Rachel and Cheryl. Last Autumn an additional Welsh language session was added, led by Sian. GoldiesLIVE.com sessions reach out to hundreds of people in partnership with many Age support groups, older persons organisations, retirement homes, Local Authorities and Town Councils.
 
The Christmas week brings all those well-loved melodies on GoldiesLIVE.com with a Christmas Special added on Christmas Eve. Says Rachel Parry, Goldies programme leader;
 
“This is such a lonely time for older people whose lives have been affected to an even greater degree by Covid. We hope that many will enjoy their Christmas with us and we want to reach out to tell everyone, especially the families and neighbours of isolated people and remind everyone that the sessions on YouTube can always be re-visited and enjoyed at any time.”
 
Across England the Goldies Charity has re-started some sessions with plans to increase through 2022, meanwhile in Wales, sessions are still not permitted although the Charity is ready to re-start as and when rules are relaxed. 
 
GoldiesLIVE.com has been made possible by the support of the National Lottery in both England and Wales, Postcode Community Trust and the Moondance Foundation in Wales.
 
ENDS
 
Image shows Rachel Parry and Cheryl Davies our GoldiesLive session leaders.
 
Enquiries to Goldies founder Grenville Jones 0777 828 2934 - [email protected]
​

PRESS RELEASE
Thursday, May 13, 2021
Goldies Cymru welcomes £12,000 boost to help people with dementia through music and song
 
The Goldies Cymru Charity is celebrating after receiving £12,000 to continue its musical services for people living with dementia. The money will enable the Cardiff-based charity to reach out through Songs and Smiles across South Wales for people suffering with dementia to support their wellbeing.


Rachel Parry (tu blaen) a Cheryl Davies, arweinwyr sesiynau Goldies Cymru, sy’n cynnal sesiynau wythnosol ar-lein Goldies-Live ar hyn o bryd.

The grant was received from Music for Dementia’s £500,000 Paul & Nick Harvey Fund, which was set up specifically to directly support musical activities for people with dementia*. ‘Goldies’ is planning to relaunch its fun daytime Sing&Smile sessions across South Wales in the Autumn for people living with dementia and introduce many new sessions.

Music for Dementia is a national campaign calling for music to be made accessible for everyone living with dementia. Music has a valuable role to play in enhancing quality of life for people living with the condition, and their carers. Research and lived experiences show that it can help reduce the often-distressing symptoms of dementia, such as agitation, apathy and anxiety.

Covid brought to a halt the live daytime sessions last March. These were then replaced with twice weekly GoldiesLive.com sessions through YouTube and Facebook. A monthly Welsh speaking version was added in May and hundreds enjoy singing and smiling on their sofas at home. The sessions also include gentle chair exercises, Bollywood dancing and much more.

Grace Meadows, Programme Director, Music for Dementia, said: “We are so delighted to be able to support Goldies Cymru and others across the UK with a grant from the Paul & Nick Harvey Fund. Musical services have been severely impacted in the last year, meaning many people living with dementia and their carers have lost those important connections and special moments that only music can provide.

“By directing the fund money towards community-based, musical services for people living with dementia and those that provide them, we are able to bring the joy of music into people’s lives wherever they are on their dementia journey.”

Grenville Jones, founder of Goldies said: “This wonderful support from the Paul & Nick Harvey Fund will help us to reach out through music to brighten the lives of many people, those living with dementia and their carers.
“You really can’t beat a good old fashioned singalong!”

* This fund was made possible by a kind donation from The Hunter Foundation to Paul & Nick Harvey who passed the money to The Utley Foundation for Music for Dementia

- ENDS -
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Grenville Jones is available for interview. Please contact him on 07778 282934.
 
About Paul & Nick Harvey
Paul Harvey is a former classical pianist and music teacher, now in his 80s, who lives with dementia. His spontaneous Four Notes composition, videoed by his son Nick, went viral across social media in September 2020; it was orchestrated by a BBC Philharmonic player and recorded by the BBC Philharmonic in October, then made available as a single. Music for Dementia was nominated by the father and son to receive half of the sales proceeds alongside Alzheimer’s Society.


About Music for Dementia
Music for Dementia, funded by The Utley Foundation, campaigns for people with dementia to have music as an integral part of their care whatever their circumstances. We are calling on the music industry, philanthropists, and the health and social care sectors to work together to make access to music for people living with dementia readily available.

PRESS RELEASE
Thursday May 6, 2021

In March 2020 Lockdown and Covid meant that the daytime fun Sing&Smile sessions from the Goldies Cymru Charity had to be cancelled.

As “Goldies,” as it is more fondly known, could not go into Church and Community halls and Libraries, they introduced sessions online featuring two popular leaders, Rachel Parry and Cheryl Davies.

Over recent months the sessions have grown and now reach out to hundreds of older isolated people in their own homes. GoldiesLive has led the way on sofa singing!

The Tuesday sessions taken by Rachel follow popular ‘themes’ and in the weeks ahead will focus upon carers across Wales, Father’s Day, World Music Day and National Writing Day. The sessions will include inserted videos featuring a number of Goldies Cymru session leaders including Ray Mound and Rob Cadman from Essex and Carol Pegler and Sue Thomas in Wales.

A recent online addition has been the introduction of a monthly GoldiesLive session in Welsh led by Sian Francis. It features popular Welsh folk songs and is already attracting a large enthusiastic audience.

A brilliant new addition to GoldiesLive has also been the introduction of gentle chair exercises led by Steph Bosanko. Steph is a qualified Yoga teacher and says that her ‘main qualification’ is that she grew up in a residential care home, run by her Father, and that she started working there as a care worker at 14 and then went on to work in nursing homes for many years.

Ahead - on June 10 Cheryl Davies will celebrate her work with Bridgend Carers featuring their song requests and an inserted video of them singing. 

During Men’s Health Week on June 15 there will be an Essex special featuring two of our Essex session leaders, Rob Cadman and Ray Mound, singing songs by lesser known male artists from the 60s.

Sarita Sood will be back in July with her amazing Bollywood dance moves and another session that everyone will be looking out for will take place on July 6 when Rachel will feature songs that require a feather boa to sing!

“Everyone is welcome to join the weekly sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with Sian on the first Monday of the month. They are broadcast on both YouTube and Facebook and can of course be re-viewed at any time from the website,” says Goldies charity founder Grenville Jones.
​
ENDS
Image shows GoldiesLive online leaders Rachel (front) and Cheryl
Press enquiries to Grenville Jones on 07778 282934.