A song that keeps a community together

On a typical week inside Dundasvale Hall, the sound of laughter, conversation and song fills the room. The Wee Singalong Group, run by the Queens Cross Community Foundation, brings together local residents who share a love of music or simply a desire for company. 

The group was created as a welcoming space for adult members of the local community to come together, sing, learn and connect in a relaxed and supportive environment.  Led by a professional music facilitator, the weekly sessions offer more than just music. With light refreshments, familiar faces and a warm atmosphere, the gathering has become an important moment in many participants’ weekly routines. 

For some, it is their only regular opportunity to socialise. 

Over time, the Wee Singalong Group has quietly become something special.  What begins as singing often turns into shared stories, new friendships and a sense of belonging that extends beyond the hall.  Participants support each other, celebrate small wins, and enjoy the simple joy of being together. 

Practitioners who lead community singing groups frequently highlight the wider wellbeing benefits of singing together. Familiar songs, in particular, can stimulate memory and help people reconnect with past experiences, bringing back feelings and stories linked to different moments in their lives.  For many participants, singing songs they recognise creates a sense of comfort and nostalgia, while the shared activity of singing in a group can boost mood, confidence and overall wellbeing. 

But like many grassroots community projects, its future has not always been certain. 

The group had previously been supported by funding from the National Lottery Community Fund.  When that funding came to an end, the organisation faced a challenge familiar to many small community initiatives: how to keep a vital project running while searching for new funding sources. 

Grassroots projects often deliver some of the most meaningful local impact, yet they frequently operate with limited resources and short-term funding cycles.  The time and capacity required to apply for funding alongside rising costs and competitive funding landscapes can make it difficult for smaller organisations to secure the support they need to continue. 

Despite these challenges, Queens Cross Community Foundation remained committed to keeping the Wee Singalong Group going. The team knew that stopping the sessions, even temporarily, could mean losing the relationships and trust that had been built over time, something that would be difficult to rebuild. 

This is where support from the Lintel Trust made a difference. 

A £1,000 grant from Lintel Trust helped ensure the sessions could continue during this uncertain period. The funding provided breathing space, allowing the group to keep meeting while the organisation explored longer-term funding opportunities. 

To see the impact for herself, Amanda Gauld, Social Value Advisor at Lintel Trust, attended a session and spent time speaking with the people who make up the group. 

What she found was powerful. 

“It was eye wateringly clear that the group is invaluable to the delegates,” she reflected.  Hearing their stories and experiences was a vivid reminder of how much projects like this matter. 

Participants spoke openly about what the sessions meant to them.  For some it was about confidence, for others companionship or simply having somewhere to go. 

One participant summed it up simply: 

“I am not a singer but what it has helped me is socially and my asthma.” 

Moments like these highlight the ripple effects of small community initiatives. What might appear to be a simple weekly singing session is, for many, a lifeline to community, wellbeing and connection. 

The £1,000 grant may seem modest, but its impact has been significant.  It has helped ensure that the music continues, the conversations carry on, and the doors of Dundasvale Hall remain open to those who need them. 

In a world where funding for grassroots projects is often uncertain, support like this demonstrates how targeted investment can protect and sustain the community spaces that people rely on most. 

And each week, as the group gathers again to sing, chat and share a cup of tea, the real impact of that support can be heard, not just in the music, but in the friendships and confidence that continue to grow.