Volunteer for Lost Chord Dementia Charity
“Fun is a key part of a Lost Chord concert and responses of all kinds are encouraged: singing along, listening, playing a tambourine, chair dancing, dancing a waltz, answering questions about music…anything goes!” – Hannah Rowlands
Becoming a Volunteer with Lost Chord UK Dementia Charity
At Lost Chord UK, we are dependent on volunteers to help with:
Concerts in homes – Helping the residents engage in music sessions.
Concerts in the community setting – Helping attendees to actively engage in the sessions in a variety of ways (singing along, chatting, dancing, reminiscing, serving drinks etc).
Advertising support – We are looking for volunteers to distribute flyers for community sessions. Could you put up a poster in your local supermarket/newsagent/café etc.
Social Media – You can help us so much by sharing our posts on social media.
Fundraising – You can help us raise vital funds to take more homes off our growing waiting list. Could you hold a coffee morning for us or an open gardens event? Would you be willing to do a sponsored walk, run, bike ride or parachute jump? The list is endless and so is the waiting list of care homes wanting a session.
According to carehome.co.uk, as of August 2022 there were 17,100 care homes in the UK with a population of 408,371.
If you would like to find out more about volunteering please call us for an informal chat or you can email us.
Meet some LCUK Volunteers
Listed alphabetically by their surname
Pete Dye, LCUK Volunteer
“Retiring in 2019 and deciding I needed to give something back whilst fit and well. I came across Lost Chord through an event with my choir and knew as a volunteer I could put a smile on peoples faces and on mine as well. It was poignant that the first care home I attended was the very same one that my mother had passed away in a few years earlier – a sign I believed; whether it is care homes, community halls or local churches it is a privilege to see the response from those in the room – smiling, singing along or sharing a dance, reflecting on their happy pasts as indeed do I also.”
Did you know… Pete was selected as a Coronation Champion >
Janet Cole, LCUK Volunteer
“I began volunteering for Lost Chord in March 2004 – 19 years ago! It’s been fun, moving and very rewarding to meet many different characters, hear their special stories and witness transformations through the power of wonderful music.
Still memorable years later is the lady who changed from angry, swearing and abusive to pleasant, grateful and engaged after being touched by a Celtic tune. It’s lovely when carers witness a usually non-communicative or immobile resident beginning to sing along, move or dance.
Most memorable accolade? Resident who said after a concert – ‘That was worth putting your teeth in for!’ Priceless!”
Gill Goodrich, LCUK Volunteer
“I first became aware of Lost Chord after watching a presentation about their work in the interval of a Vivacity choir concert. My friend and I were moved to tears and I decided that it was something I would like to be involved in once I had retired. Fast forward a few years and on 2nd September 2019 I took part in my very first session as a volunteer. It is honestly one of the most rewarding things I have ever done and I feel hugely privileged to be part of the team who can make such a difference.”
Clare Keen, LCUK Volunteer
“As a Lost Chord volunteer I have quite a few memorable moments and here’s one I’d like to share with you. One venue I go to regularly has a resident who usually seems to make a show of ‘distancing himself ‘ from the concert by either reading the newspaper or not hearing us when we speak to him or pretending we said something else. However, he does always attend the concerts even though he may get up and move to the far end of the room. He certainly does not want to appear to actively participate (but he does have a peep at us when he thinks we’re not looking).
On this latest occasion, however, he just could not resist. The singer was new to this venue and she got a wonderful atmosphere going in the room and just would not give up on Alec. I thought he might retreat further but no, on the contrary, his defences dissolved and his face relaxed into huge smiles while the newspaper was chucked aside on the floor. Song after song we wooed and serenaded him while he lay back in his chair and beamed. And when he got up to leave the room/go to the loo our singer grabbed the opportunity for a dance and sure enough he was whirling around and laughing as we’d never seen him. By the end he was blowing kisses and asking us to come back soon.
I have to say, our musicians are fabulous; they are miracle workers. I have always found that music enters our being in a very secret and magical way and has the power to transform mood, restore memories and lift the spirit. And time after time I see this happening whenever Lost Chord come to play.”
Marg Pemberton, LCUK volunteer
“I’ve been a volunteer with Lost Chord since 2010. It’s been a privilege to assist some wonderful professional musicians bringing their music to residents in many care settings. The pleasure that music brings to the audience is a delightful experience for me as well as for them.
I love to interact with members of the audience, and it’s amazing how music initiates conversations and recollections from those who may be struggling with day to day situations, and the community singalongs are now reaching out to even more people.”
Nick Summerbell, LCUK volunteer
“I’ve been a volunteer with Lost Chord for a number of years. I enjoy seeing people being entertained and having a good time singing and dancing. It makes me happy to be part of their uplifting experience.“
