The Unite-CPHVA Annual Professional Conference will conclude with a short performance by the Birmingham Choir With No Name, which builds joyful singing communities with people impacted by homelessness and marginalisation, around the UK. Currently, there are six choirs: in Birmingham, Liverpool, London, Coventry, Brighton and Cardiff.
The charity was founded on the premise that singing makes you feel good, distracts us from all the nonsense in life and helps you to build confidence, skills and genuine long-lasting friendships. Choir members are people who have experienced homelessness, or who are facing difficult tough time in their lives.
The choir rehearses on Thursday evenings at St Martin in the Bull Ring Church, Birmingham and the choir director is Pete Churchill. They perform regularly at community festivals, local homeless hostels and famous venues like the Royal Festival Hall and Brighton Dome.
Choir With No Name also delivers community projects for people at risk of homelessness, or who are experiencing related issues and/or benefitting from recovery services and mental health support.
‘What we do is simple: our choirs meet once a week for a cuppa and a catch-up, we then sing our hearts out for an hour and a half and sit down together afterwards for a hot meal cooked by volunteers. Our choirs are a supportive, safe space for people going through a tough time to be among friends, where they can experience the joy of singing together, have fun, build confidence and skills, and feel more able to tackle life’s other challenges, such as securing housing or finding work.’