Local Rock Choir Gifts £620.00 to YWCA Yorkshire to support work with women, children and families locally. 

The donation, which was awarded by Rock Choir Leader Kate Threlfall and choir members Donna Pierpoint and Wendy Rogalski, will go towards providing specialist support programmes to vulnerable young adults in South Yorkshire.  

Finance Manager, Louise Dack received the funds on behalf of YWCA Yorkshire. Louise said: “We are so incredibly grateful to Donna, Kate, Wendy and the wider choir for raising money for charity and for choosing YWCA Yorkshire as beneficiaries. What wonderful people!  I think it is fabulous that a local group like this has so much passion and commitment to support the communities they live and sing in.” 

Rock Choir is a national movement of community choirs founded by singer and musician Caroline Redman-Lusher in 2005 in Surrey. Caroline began teaching adults without any prior musical experience how to sing in harmony. The results on their mental and physical health and wellbeing were so positive, demand quickly grew and within months Rock Choir was born. It's now a national network of choirs across the UK with sessions taking place weekly in over 400 towns and cities. 

In 2011, local musician Kate Threlfall from Barnsley, launched Rock Choir in South Yorkshire. Kate leads three choir groups in Barnsley, Doncaster and Sheffield. With over 300 members and weekly choir practices, Kate and her Rockies are always looking for new ways to support local people and charities. 

Kate Threlfall, Rock Choir Leader, Barnsley, Doncaster & Sheffield City Centre, said; “On a national level Rock Choir supports a number of charities. We’ve worked with Children in Need before and Missing People and this year we are partnered with Comic Relief. But for our members, there is always a real pull to have an impact locally in the places that we live and sing.   

“Donna, a member of the Sheffield Choir, is an incredibly motivated fundraiser and every year she runs a Strictly Come Dancing sweepstake for our members. Rockies vote on local charities to donate to and this year we are thrilled to have been able to support YWCA Yorkshire in this way.” 

And there is more to come from this new found friendship. The Rock Choir has kindly offered to collect easter eggs for local children living at three YWCA Yorkshire housing Projects in Rotherham, Doncaster and Sheffield.  And the choir are also hoping to perform at the upcoming 20-year celebration events at Green Gables and Fleming Gardens. The events will mark two decades of working with women, children and families to build better futures in Rotherham and Doncaster. It's the perfect backdrop for a community choir that cares so greatly about supporting charitable causes in the region.  

Sheffield Rock Choir member, Donna Pierpoint, said, "We all love singing in Rock Choir, it is so uplifting and brings such joy, but to be able to come together and raise funds for local charities means a lot to all our members," 

Rock Choir offers a no-audition, no-requirement to read music choir experience that is open to everyone who loves to sing feel-good, pop and contemporary songs. FREE taster sessions run all year round and can be booked via the Rock Choir website. 

If you are a community group looking to make an impact locally - we would love to talk to you more about opportunities to partner with YWCA Yorkshire. Please get in touch: rowan.hall@ywcayorkshire.org.uk