A choir with singers from across Milton Keynes, Woburn Sands, Bedford and more are raising money for Macmillian with their new single.
The Collaboration Choir, based in Milton Keynes, Cambridge, Huntingdon, St Neots, Bedford and Woburn Sands, is an adult pop choir with community firmly at its heart.
Forged with the intention of working for and with local communities, as part of this collaborative ethos it finds creative and entertaining ways to fundraise for charitable causes.
Now they have professionally recorded the song ‘Reach Out I’ll Be There’ and filmed a music video at Cambridge Corn Exchange and are aiming to raise £10,000 for the cancer charity.
‘I’ll be there to love and comfort you’: the lines, originally sung by The Four Tops, strike a personal chord for many of the choir members who have been affected by cancer.
The Collaboration Choir Founder Carrie Rawlings says: “I knew this song was going to work for the campaign as soon as I heard the opening line about ‘feeling like you can’t go on’. What communities like The Collaboration Choir and Macmillan offer to people is a reason to carry on fighting. We encourage one another even in the darkest times. Added to that there was the amazing sound of 250 voices singing from the heart. It was truly moving to be part of, and we’re so proud of the end result. We hope you love it too, and that it can go some way to helping those who really need support, love, and to know that if they reach out, someone is always there.”
Supporting Macmillan was a clear choice for Carrie. “A number of choir members are currently undergoing treatment for cancer, and we lost an amazing long-standing choir member, Bob Carr, late last year to pancreatic cancer. So it just felt right.”
Choir members have also been holding their own individual fundraising events. Instead of gifts, for her 50th birthday Elaine in Huntingdon asked friends and family to contribute to the Macmillan campaign and raised over £500. Susie in St Neots also celebrated a big birthday and asked people to donate to the cause. And husband and wife duo Liz and Bob held a coffee and cards event, raising £181.00.
They have also been taking to TikTok and selling limited edition t-shirts.
Alex Howe, Relationship Fundraising Manager at Macmillan Cancer Support said: “We are so grateful for the variety of creative ways that supporters use their skills and talents in which to raise vital funds for the charity. As an organisation that is 98% funded by public donations we are so grateful to The Collaboration Choir and their amazing members for raising such vital funds for us in such a special way which will help us to support people living with cancer”
Last year the choir raised a whopping £10,563.41 for Dementia UK, and Carrie and her singers are confident they can do the same – if not better – in 2024.
Adds Carrie: “People’s generosity never fails to inspire me. We were overwhelmed by the support of our friends, family and even people we’d never met but who wanted to make a positive difference to others. Even a small amount goes a long way, so please enjoy our video, and donate anything you’re able to spare. Thank you so much!”
The choir has a JustGiving page here.
