Popular singing project awarded £12.5k from Sizewell C Community Fund

A popular project which gives people the chance to connect with others to socialise and sing to boost their wellbeing has received a £12,535 grant from the Sizewell C Community Fund.

Cohere Arts has been awarded the money to deliver 30 “Tonic – singing for health” sessions at Leiston Library over the coming year.

The seated singing group gives older people and those with mobility or other challenges the chance to join a weekly session, make new friends and boost their wellbeing through song. The workshops are popular, with more than 20 residents regularly taking part in guided singing sessions before socialising with others over refreshments.

Dr Amy Mallett, artistic and executive director of Cohere Arts, said: “We are thrilled to receive this award, which will enable the return and continuation of our weekly ‘Tonic – singing for health’ workshops at Leiston Library.

“Offering a gentle, friendly way to experience the many health benefits of singing with others, the activity has been a hit with Leiston residents since it was piloted in January 2025. Group members have told us that Tonic has given them opportunities to make friends, reduce anxiety and recover from health challenges.”

The Sizewell C Community Fund is managed by Suffolk Community Foundation. It is making around £2m available each year to projects in the East Suffolk Council area which promote the economic, social or environmental wellbeing of the communities most impacted by the construction of Sizewell C and which enhance people’s quality of life.

Cohere Arts was one of eight projects awarded a share of just over £660,000 in the latest round of grants. Others to benefit included Ogilvie Pavilion and Sports Ground in Aldringham-cum-Thorpe, Rural Coffee Caravan, SAX Community Fridge and Saxmundham Adventure Playground.

The latest awards take the total distributed since the fund was launched just over a year ago to around £3m.

For more information about the fund, eligibility criteria and how to apply, visit www.sizewellcfund.org.uk or call 01473 602 602.

The “Tonic – singing for health” sessions take place at Leiston Library every Wednesdays between 10.30am and 12pm. There is no need to book in advance.