Sing your way to better wellbeing with new Friday group at New Park Centre
A new inclusive community singing group is coming to New Park Centre in Chichester this October, offering a friendly, relaxed space where people can come together, sing, connect and support their health and wellbeing.
Sing to Health with Ruth Routledge launches at New Park Centre on Friday 2 October, with a welcoming tea and coffee from 11am followed by singing from 11.30am12.30pm in the Old Dojo.
And there is absolutely no need to be a confident singer. The sessions are designed to be inclusive and accessible, with no singing ability or previous experience required. Participants are encouraged to bring along song requests and simply enjoy the experience of singing together.
The group is also dementia-friendly, making it an opportunity for people to attend with a partner, family member or carer and enjoy something together.
Why singing?
There is growing research into the relationship between singing, social connection and wellbeing. A 2026 systematic review of 50 studies found that social wellbeing outcomes were particularly positive in research involving group singing.
Research has also explored singing in relation to dementia, with organisations including the Alzheimers Society highlighting potential benefits including wellbeing, mood, social connection, memory and word recall.
For Ruth, however, singing for health is about much more than the science.
If you can speak you can sing. This group is all about coming together to have that shared, joyful and connecting experience, which is also great for our lungs, hearts, brains and mental health. There is also the safety of singing in a group no-one can hear the individual voices and together we can create a whole greater than the sum of its individual parts.
The new group follows Ruth's previous work in Chichester. In 2025 she ran a weekly singing-for-health project exploring the impact of group singing on adults with high blood pressure, lung health conditions, wellbeing and loneliness. Participants reported enjoying the sessions and valued both the social interaction and opportunity to engage with their own health.
Group singing has also been demonstrated to be an effective and accessible holistic intervention which can improve symptoms associated with:
A natural fit for New Park Centre
New Park Centre Manager, Allison McDonald-Hughes said: New Park is all about bringing people together, and we know how important community, connection and wellbeing are to the people who use the Centre. We are delighted to welcome Ruth and Sing to Health.
The fact that the group is dementia-friendly is particularly special, as it means someone living with dementia can come along with a partner, friend or carer and enjoy the experience together. We hope it will become another warm, welcoming part of the New Park community.
The sessions take place every Friday from 2 October, with tea and coffee at 11am and singing from 11.30am12.30pm.
The sessions are free, with donations welcome. So come and find your voice. Whether you love to sing, haven't sung since school, think you can't sing at all, or simply want to meet people and do something positive for your wellbeing, Sing to Health offers an opportunity to come as you are.
For more information or to book: Ruth Routledge Email: ruth@singtohealth.com Tel: 07946 900543 Web: singtohealth.com/Chichester
