Launched in February 2025 at Britwell Community Hub, Lyrics & Laughter was created to boost health and wellbeing through music, while raising awareness of young onset dementia across all communities. One year on, the community group has grown into a vibrant, inclusive group of nearly 30 people from diverse backgrounds who love to sing, dance and celebrate life together.
From drumming sessions and cultural celebrations to performances and concerts, it has been a remarkable first year.
Our team in East Berkshire started with the group, and below they reflect on the journey of the group and the memories made along the way.
“Sing and Dance lightens our souls.”
– Britwell community member
“In February of 2025 we took the leap and committed to bringing singing and dancing to Slough, at the Britwell Centre. With an aim to raise awareness of young onset dementia and de-stigmatise talking about memory loss and visiting the doctor, all while boosting health and wellbeing through the power of music, we set to work.
Karen and Jess visited the Slough 50 Plus forum to spread the word and popped in on the Britwell Community Centre Holi festival in early March. From here, the team in East Berkshire set out to find out how we could connect the community and how we could start to build a safe space within Slough.
We were blessed to find so many supporting charities and organisations who offered their services for free to our group. We spent four months trying a huge range of musical skills including DHOL drumming with Gurdev, dancing with Colin from Brighton Jive and Amina from Amina Khayyam Dance and even a poetry session with David and Ronald from Dementia in Dub.
Throughout all these afternoons there was always one constant, bringing enthusiasm when we sometimes needed it on a dull Thursday afternoon; Jane from Sing Your Pain Away. Jane has co-facilitated the group since day one, and members quickly came to know her as the ‘Thursday singing lady’ which is a compliment she happily accepted.
With Jane on board, the group continued to grow throughout 2025. She even helped us choose a new name, changing from Britwell Sing and Dance to Lyrics and Laughter – exactly what the group is all about.
“It’s the music that brought me in. I only came in to check on my bus pass, but I could hear you all singing from down the hall. You’ve cheered my whole day up.”
– Britwell community member
After just seven months together, our good friend Steve Samson from Age UK Berkshire booked us in for our first performance: the Dementia Friendly Royal Borough two-year anniversary event at Bisham Abbey on 21 October.
The group were buzzing to say the least. With our crowd-favourite songs chosen and the minibus booked, we made our way to the Abbey. The audience were soon on their feet as we sang and danced through our setlist: Return to Sender, Top of the World, Under the Boardwalk and Fanga Alafia.
Fanga Alafia quickly became our signature song of 2025. The African welcome song, meaning “Welcome, peace be with you,” is full of energetic dance moves and was introduced to us by Jane. We debuted the dance at Bisham Abbey and later performed it again as the closing number at the charity’s annual Christmas Concert.
One attendee of the event shared these beautiful words: “It’s not often that I am just ‘in the moment’ and feeling total pure happiness and joy, but watching the choir perform yesterday, I was. I watched every single individual putting their heart and soul into those songs and it was incredible.”
In November we celebrated Diwali, guided by members of the group who even dressed us for the occasion. We celebrated in style with a dance session led by Jasmine from Apna Versa.
Before we knew it, December had arrived and, as everyone at Younger People with Dementia knows, Christmas means one thing – our annual choir concert. While we think of ourselves less as a choir and more as a joyful group of friends meeting for karaoke, we were thrilled to be invited on stage.
We voted for our favourite songs and got to work practicing. Our repertoire included Rise Up, Sing of a Merry Christmas, and of course Fanga Alafia.
“The concert last night was truly amazing. A big, big thanks to the organisers and to all who attended. It was thoroughly enjoyable.”
– Britwell community member
To round off the year, we hosted a Christmas party filled with carols and shared food. Everyone brought a plate of nibbles to enjoy together, and we even managed to record Return to Sender for the YPWD Advent Calendar Challenge.
One year on, the group has grown into a vibrant and inclusive community of people from many different backgrounds who simply love to sing, dance and celebrate life together. The friendships formed and the sense of belonging created through the group made celebrating our first anniversary a must. For the special session, members voted for their favourite songs from the past year:
- Return to Sender
- Rise Up
- Dancing Queen
- Angels
We are delighted to announce that, thanks to the success and positive impact of Lyrics and Laughter, we have secured funding to continue the group for another year. The group is a wonderful example of community spirit and a reminder of how music can bring people together.
If you would like to join the group, please contact Karen Ive, East Berkshire Area Manager, at karen.ive@ypwd.info.”
“This group has been a godsend. A complete antidote to stress and worries. The team have been amazing. Every week they come here with unwavering positive vibes and energy.”
– Britwell community member
Get in touch