A choir has provided two of this year’s Pride of South Holland Awards, and they’ve been collecting even more, less glorious, accolades.
Both founder Zeph Churchill and pianist Jack Wheatley have helped boost Spalding Community Choir’s numbers to over 100.
Jack was named the Young Achiever by sponsor Molsom Associates while musical director Zeph was the Bakkavor Local Community Champion.
To celebrate, on April Fools’ Day the choir presented their own awards, Zeph winning Wackiest Shoes and Boots and Jack Most Friends and Followers.
For the Pride Awards, Zeph was also nominated by The Ukulele Orchestra of Spalding for encouraging and facilitating community music and the nurse at Beechfield West’s fundraising and overall work in the community.
“I was completely taken aback at receiving the award,” said Zeph. “I went to the ceremony to support another Jack and was so impressed by stories of good neighbours, outstanding kindness, incredible achievements and fantastic humans that I didn’t think I would ever win something.
“I felt very humbled and promptly burst into tears. I do what I do to make a positive difference to people.
“I’ve been a nurse for 33 years and health is important to me.
“Mental and physical health and wellbeing can be helped by singing and coming together in community to raise money for local charity.
“We have seen some great improvement in Covid recovery through singing in particular.
“There is always a lot of laughter, and laughter helps most ailments!
“I started the choir in 2019 as I felt there was a need for a choir.
“I thought it was a crazy idea but we had a wonderful response more than 40 people came to the first rehearsal.
“I believe everyone can sing.
“There are no auditions, no need to read music and we sing songs that everyone knows.
“Last year we performed our first concert to raise food for the Agape food bank in Spalding with 60 members of the choir performing.
“It’s a wonderful community of people who all sing and socialise together; a real community within a community, from and for the community of Spalding.”
The Spalding Community Choir practices at 2pm on Saturday afternoons at Broad Street Methodist Church.
