Stalybridge Spring Concert in aid of Guide Dogs

Tameside Community Voices choir are holding their annual spring concert on Saturday 17th May 2025.

The community choir host a spring concert every year to help raise money for charity.

The supported charity changes every year and in the past money has been raised for the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK as well as local charities such as Street Pastors.

The charity was founded in 2011 by Joyce and Ann who had been friends for years.

Joyce Hansell, used to be a primary school teacher who specialised in music: “We just put a notice out there saying do you enjoy singing if so, come along to our first rehearsal at St George’s Church Stalybridge on a date in September 2011.”

Over 40 people turned up for the first rehearsal and around a dozen of those people still attend 14 years later.

The choir also brings the community together and provides people a chance to socialise and meet new people: “Several of them meet up outside of choir and they have formed very good friendships.”

The choir hold a Spring and Christmas concert every year for charity.

Throughout the year they also attend other events such as Stalybridge Beer Festival in September, which they have been performing at for the last seven years.

Over the years Tameside Community Voices have raised £53,000 for a variety of different charities.

They currently have 80 members that attend the rehearsals regularly.

For this years Spring Concert, they will be raising money for The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association a charity close to the choir’s heart.

“One of our past members has a very serious eye condition, and she was actually married to a totally blind man who had a guide dog.

“Her husband had this wonderful guide dog for years and we are going to see if she would like to share something at the concert.”

To put on the concerts many of the members put money in to cover the cost of the venue and refreshments that they provide on the day, so that all money raised on the night goes directly to the charity.

The choir have a group on Facebook for people to find out more about upcoming events and rehearsals.

Anyone can join and the choir doesn’t require an audition.

The Spring Concert is being held on Saturday 17^th May from 7pm at Holy Trinity Church in Stalybridge.

Tickets are £5 on the door and all money raised goes towards the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.