My message to any long-COVID sufferers living in Salisbury is come along we are ready and waiting! Meet the Salisbury choir breathing joy into the lives of people managing lung conditions

The ‘Salisbury Breathless Singers’, recently awarded £10,000 of National Lottery funding, is transforming the lives of people in Wiltshire, with singing exercises that manage breathlessness.

Thanks to National Lottery players, the grant will allow the group to restart their choir in person, combatting the loneliness that many of their members have faced due months of shielding from COVID-19.

Set up in 2017, the organisation has welcomed many people to their choirs and workshops. Teaching breathing techniques and singing songs, they help people regain the ability to walk long distances, have uninterrupted conversations and live a better quality of life, whilst forming communities of people coping with similar afflictions.

Tony (pictured on the left on the far right), 84, suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchitis, and has been part of the Breathless Singers Choir for four years. He said: “Before joining the choir, I couldn’t go up the stairs without stopping or walk and talk at the same time, but I can do that now too. Every morning I wake up, go downstairs, make myself a cup of tea and go back up again. In fact, once you get me going you can’t stop me. My daughter jokingly said to me the other day, ‘I preferred it when you couldn’t talk!’ So I’m happy to say this National Lottery funding will have a huge impact on people’s lives.”

The funding has come at the right time. According to according to the Office of National Statistics, over one million people are estimated to be suffering with long-COVID in the UK, many of whom count lung and breathing problems as one of the persistent symptoms.

Liv McLennan, Community Musician, Creative Practitioner and Co-Director of Music for Wellbeing CIC said: “We are just starting to see an influx of people suffering from long-COVID...My message to any long-COVID sufferers living in Salisbury is come along, thanks to National Lottery players, we are ready and waiting!

“Through this project we have seen people get control over their breath, gain confidence and start to enjoy their life again.”

422 charities and community groups across the South West have been awarded more than £18.2 million of National Lottery funding throughout 2021 so far*.

The South West isn’t alone in benefiting from National Lottery funding. Today it was announced that almost £200 million of National Lottery funding has been awarded to more than 4,500 community groups across England so far this year.

Rowan Miller, Head of Funding for the South West at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “I am incredibly pleased to see the amazing impact that money raised by National Lottery players is having in communities across the South West. Recent challenges have shone a light on the inspiring volunteers and groups, like the Music for Wellbeing, who have been dedicated to helping their communities to thrive. This funding has given a much-needed boost to people in their communities this year after what have been some extremely difficult times.”

The National Lottery Community Fund distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes. Thanks to National Lottery players, last year we awarded over half a billion pounds (£588.2 million) of life-changing funding to communities across the UK. Over eight in ten (83%) of our grants are for under £10,000 – going to grassroots groups and charities across the UK that are bringing to life amazing ideas that matter to their communities.

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk