On Monday the 16th of December we took part in a very special session.

Nicola, Edward, Doug, Sarah and Annette (on her first session) helped the Choir with No Name.

We firstly helped Nostos unload the food and set up the tables for the choir’s meal. Then serving their meal in the renovated Corn Exchange before they performed their annual Big Christmas Singalong to a sold out Brighton Dome!

The Choir was set up for people who have experience of homelessness and or social exclusion. It is a community initiative creating a supportive, empowering community in Brighton and other major cities around the country. Stefania our Area Activator also volunteers with the choir alongside the many other things she does for the community. After the choir had eaten their fill, we also were offered a tasty meal. The amazing food was provided by Greek Restaurant Nostos in Holland Road, Hove.

A group of 10 GoodGym-ers then watched the uplifting performance. It was truly moving and guaranteed to get you in the Christmas Spirit.

It was moving in more ways than one as we had to jump up and do a different action for the 12 days of Christmas! Those with January birthdays had an especially good workout!

Choir members told the audience what the choir meant to them and how it gave them a sense of community and joy.

We were delighted to have a shout out at the end.

“On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me….GOODGYM!”

Nice community mission, with enthusiastic GoodGym-ers joining to serve food to the ChoirWithNoName prior their BlowOut Gig, including new member Juliet

Here is Stefania, Brighton GoodGym's Area Activator, and ChoirWithNoName singer, puclib talk at the event:

Most in Brighton know me as an active, sporty and enthusiastic person, with endless stamina. I am currently working with sustainable development for sports. Not many know that I like singing in choirs since my childhood. When I was motivated to walk to my community church even during cold and snowy winters after tiring skitoruing days, with blisters in my foot. Most would fall asleep in front of the telly, not me!
I moved to UK more than 20 years ago, for HE, a satisfying job and a deep interest in people and different cultures. More than 5 years ago I made a brave change of career to nurture different aspirations, with a consistent cut of salary and work environment, from international to be more Brightonian. Honestly? I still wonder if it was a good call! Brexit felt tough! Signed my face with bitter water drops and now, at times, I feel I am not fully integrated, valued or wanted even by charitable organisations or cooperatives. I have been collaborating pro-bono for a long time. Certainly, not being successful for years in job applications, without receiving constructive feedback doesn’t help to boost anybody’s confidence, does it? But, I like where I stand today! This is also thanks to GoodGym and the ChoirWithNoName, where I felt welcome since the first day I stepped in without even knowing what its name was standing for! A choir, where I could sing, again, for free! I find the ChoirWithNoName an incredibly safe and inclusive environment, full of shared empathy and boosting passion. Giving everybody a loud voice, even to those with hidden characters, emotions and frustrations we sometimes don’t dare to admit openly without feeling we are not good enough. Stimulating spontaneous friendship from a diversity of wonderful people, volunteers, a skillful choir director, Freya, and managers, Anna, Charlie, and an inspiring and value driven founder, Marie! Being valued openly for who we really are and for whatever we can bring, regardless – in my case, was enjoying cooking during the pandemic while we were singing on zoom! Soon enough this initiated several visits at my doorstep, at a distance, from members procuring me spontaneously food ingredients to cook again! I might not have experienced homeless like other members of the choir, but I needed to re-find my home in this country to re-boost my confidence.

I feel ChoirWithNoName is my home, and a great family, I am proud to be part of. Likewise GoodGym, really :-)

On Tuesday 21st we carried out the last GoodGym session of the year. What a highlight this was!

Nicola, (new to the Task Force!) Sarah, Ben and Edel helped the Choir with No Name to set up and serve their meal before they performed their Big Christmas Singalong at a sell out Dome.

The Choir was set up for people who have experience of homelessness and or marginalisation. It is a community initiative building joyful singing friendships in Brighton and other major cities around the country with a link to GoodGym via the wonderful Stefania, who is a massive part of both organisations. Our coordinator and, to Ben's surprise! :-), a singing volunteer member of the Choir in Brighton.

After the choir had eaten, we were offered a delicious meal too. The food was provided by Greek Restaurant Nostos in Holland Road, Hove.

We then had a drink in a local pub and joined the rest of the GoodGymers (10 of us in all) back at the Dome for the performance.

A highlight for me was the choir’s special version of 12 days of Christmas!

I think we all found the evening uplifting, joyful and at times very moving; members of the choir shared their stories of homelessness and how the choir has helped them to feel empowered and part of a community, which is also what GoodGym does for me.

We left the Dome feeling full of Christmas spirit with big smiles and hoarse from all the singing!

Merry Xmas all!

ChoirWithNoName empowers homeless and marginalised people to showcase their talent, build personal resilience and make friends through singing! Brighton Choir launched in 2018 and, on Saturday, they celebrated five years of success and strength at their ”Five years Strong” b’day GIG.

Three GoodGym heroes were there behind the scenes helping, laughing, dancing, and supporting the choir and the band during the rehearsal before the gig. We moved tables and chairs, meandering in All Saint Church, and set the choir for a pre-show dinner by serving pizzas and tasty salads and washing dishes.

We can be heroes, just for one day. We can be us, just for one day [David Bowie]

The reward was participating to a very joyful ChoirWithNoName singalong with special samba vibes from Sambaoke and a raffle (I like raffles' suspance, a lot).

Thank You for, Thank you for that. Thank You for, Thank you for that [Diana Ross]

We will be certainly back and come along to the next ChoirWithNoName’s Big Christmas Singalong at Brighton Dome, on Tuesday 19th December.

Don’t stop me now. Because I am having a good time. Don’t stop me now. Yes I am having a good time. I don’t wanna stop at all [Queens]

Auguri, dear ChoirWithNoName!