In a heart-warming gesture, the team at Guild Care's Haviland House Day Service has made one of their member's dreams come true by giving him the opportunity to sing again as part of a Welsh male choir. The Haviland House Day Service provides individuals living with dementia in Worthing, and their family members, with a safe and welcoming environment for socialising and creating cherished memories.

Brenig has vascular dementia and lives with his loving wife and two devoted daughters. His journey with Haviland House Day Service began in June 2023, when his daughter sought a day service that would not only provide her mother with much-needed respite from her unpaid caring role, but also give her dad the chance to socialise, make new friends, and engage in meaningful activities.

Before Brenig's dementia diagnosis, he was a valued and loyal member of a Welsh male voice choir for over 20 years. When he joined Haviland House, he expressed his deep love for choir singing and how much he missed it. Brenig often expresses his joy by bursting into song whenever he’s at the centre, a heartwarming experience for all.  

Brenig thoroughly enjoyed singing along with Ric and friends

Determined to make Brenig's dream of singing in a choir a reality, Sarah, Team Leader at Haviland House Day Service, took the initiative. She believes in making dreams come true, saying, "We can't do a lot, but if we can, we will." Sarah and the team are dedicated to helping their members relive what is special to them, showing that dementia doesn't have to be an obstacle to pursuing one's dreams.

"We believe it is important that our members relive what was so special to them. Dementia doesn't have to be an obstacle or a boundary stopping you from doing what you want," says Sarah.

Sarah reached out to a friend of the service, Ric Gray, who frequently sings for the members at the centre. Ric is a member of a choir and graciously invited some of his fellow choir members to join him, volunteering their time to perform Welsh songs for Brenig. What made this event truly remarkable was that the choir invited Brenig to sing with them, and he joined in for every song. The camaraderie and the opportunity to perform with the choir brought back the joy Brenig had been missing since he had to leave his previous choir. The singers expressed their pleasure in being able to provide such a heartfelt gift.

Brenig with Helen Searle, Senior Support Worker at Haviland House Day Service

The Haviland House Day Service operates four days a week, offering an extensive and innovative programme of events. In addition to enriching the lives of individuals living with dementia, the service provides much-needed respite for their dedicated carers.

To learn more about the Haviland House Day Service please contact our friendly team on 01903 327 327, email [email protected], or visit www.guildcare.org/dementia-support for additional information.