Bantry Community Choir

Bantry Community Choir is an inclusive group of men and women who join together to sing – not only because they enjoy singing but also for the benefit of the community.

Founded on World Mental Health Day 2014, Bantry Community Choir, work in close partnership with West Cork Mental Health Services (WCMHS) and West Cork Development Partnership. Co-founders Nora Edgeworth (Mental health Advocate) & Kevin O’Shanahan (Nurse specialist in mental health and the arts with WCMHS) initiated the choir with an ethos of community, inclusion, social interaction and participation for all. That ethos remains at the fore today.

Bantry Community Choir love to collaborate and share the goodness of singing with others. They have collaborated with John Spillane & the Claddagh Rogues at Triskel Christchurch as part of the nationwide First Fortnight festival. They have also participated in the first West Cork Chamber Fringe Festival, and performed alongside nine other choirs from around the country at the annual Celebration of Health Service Choirs. Collaborating with Gamelan Spréacha Geala for the Skibbereen Arts Festival in 2017 was another highlight. Most of all they love to perform in their native Bantry with performances for those who would might otherwise find it difficult to attend a live musical event. They sing for the people at Bantry Hospice, Deerpark Nursing Home and Bantry Day Care. They also sing in Bantry Library in celebration of Culture Night and around the town whether on Bantry Town Square, in the Tourist Office or for their annual Live Life and Sing concert.

Through public performance they have made donations in support of local charities including The Donal Walsh Live Life Foundation, Bantry Hospice, Cancer Connect, Teddies for Loving Care (TLC), Rural Animal Welfare Resources and transport for local people to Pieta House. They have also made appearances at fundraising events for other organisations such as CoAction and Clonakilty Lions Club.

Singing is fun and it’s good for your health. It can stimulate the feel-good endorphins in your brain, lower stress levels, give your lungs a good work-out, help with sleep, improve mental alertness and you can make some good friends to boot.

You don’t have to audition, you don’t have to be able to read music and you don’t even have to be an accomplished singer – there’s something for everyone at Bantry Community Choir and all are most welcome!

All are welcome!

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“There’s something very special about a choir and it’s a great honour for us to perform and contribute to the community of Bantry. A little bit of magic happens when creating music together – and sharing it with your local community is a uniquely rewarding experience”

Susan McManamon.

Musical Director

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49 North Street, Skibbereen, Co. Cork

Most agree that giving to others is a good idea however giving to others has a knock on effect on ourselves by improving the givers mental wellbeing.

Most agree that giving to others is a good idea however giving to others has a knock on effect on ourselves by improving the givers mental wellbeing. From small acts of kindness to volunteering, giving can give you a sense of purpose, community and connectedness. Sometimes we think of our wellbeing in terms of what we have; our income, car, home or job. Evidence shows that what we do and the way we think has the biggest impact on mental wellbeing. Positive mental wellbeing means feeling good about yourself and the world around you and being able to get on with your life. Helping and supporting others and working with others towards a shared goal is good for our mental wellbeing. A 2003 study in 373 older adults found that some aspect of wellbeing were higher in those who did volunteer projects compared with those who did not. Scientists have shown that giving to others can stimulate the reward areas in the brain helping to create positive feelings. Helping others also gives a sense of purpose and feelings of self-worth.

Evidence show that good relationships with family, friends, colleagues and the wider community are important for mental wellbeing.

Many of us would like to spend more time with the people who are most important to us but sometimes life just gets in the way of that. We must make time to connect with the people that matter to us. By nurturing these relationships we feel happier and more secure, giving a better sense of purpose. A 2002 study of 222 students in the US found that the happiest amongst the group had stronger social relationships than those who were less happy. Some tips to stay connected:

Make time each day to connect with your family, friends and colleagues. This could include ‘family time’ that is a fixed time to connect each day.
Arrange a day out with friends you may not have connected with recently. Most people connect on social media sites like Facebook but a face to face contact spending your time with your friends is so much more meaningful and beneficial than a “like” or “comment” on Facebook.
Reduce your screen time when you are in company. Put the phone away, close your laptop, turn off the TV and have a chat.
Try connecting with someone new today. Talk to the person beside you on the train or in the shop. This conversation may mean even more to the person you connect with than you realise.
Leave your desk for your lunch and sit with a colleague catching up on non-work matters.
It can be as simple as a smile at a passer-by.

Learning new skills is both useful and it can also positively affect our mental wellbeing. Learning means different things to everyone. To some it will be a new qualification and to others it will be learning a new recipe in the kitchen.

Learning new skills is both useful and it can also positively affect our mental wellbeing. Learning means different things to everyone. To some it will be a new qualification and to others it will be learning a new recipe in the kitchen. Evidence shows that continuing to learn throughout life can help improve and maintain our mental wellbeing. Mental Wellbeing means feeling good about yourself and the world around you and being able to get on with your life the way you choose. In 2004 a study interviewed 145 adults about learning throughout life and various aspects of their health and wellbeing. It found that people who involved themselves in more learning reported feeling higher self-esteem, a greater ability to cope with stress, and more feelings of self-confidence, hope and purpose. Setting goals and working towards them plays an important part in the way learning influences wellbeing. Many forms of learning involve contact with others which connects us to our communities and peers.

It is easy to rush through daily life without stopping to notice much. Paying attention to the present moment – to our own thoughts, feelings and to the world around you can improve your mental wellbeing.

Taking Notice is also called Mindfulness. It is easy to incorporate mindfulness into your life and can be a very powerful tool if learnt and practiced daily. Mental wellbeing means being feeling good about life and yourself and having the ability to get on with life in the way you want. Many think about wellbeing in terms of what you have; your income, car, house or job. Evidence shows that what we do and the way we think have the biggest impact on wellbeing. To Take Notice is to notice the sights, smells, sounds and tastes you experience as well as your thoughts and feelings that occur from one moment to the next. It’s easy to lose touch with the way our bodies are feeling and to end up living in our heads. An important part of Taking Notice is to reconnect with our bodies and the sensations they are experiencing. It can be something as simple as the feel of your knife and fork in your hands. Most of us have issues we find hard to let go of and mindfulness can help us deal with them more productively. Awareness of this kind also helps us notice signs of stress or anxiety earlier and helps us deal with them better.

Being active is great for your physical and mental wellbeing. Evidence proves there is a link between being active physically and good mental wellbeing.

Mental wellbeing means feeling good about yourself, about the world around you and having the ability to get on with life in the way you want.
Being active doesn’t mean you need to train for a marathon. You need to find physical activity that you enjoy and can fit into your daily/ weekly routine. This may be a daily walk to the shops instead of taking the car, a weekly gardening session, some yoga, swimming or a weekend walk.
Scientists confirm physical activity can help maintain wellbeing and good mental health in a number of ways:
Physical activity helps with mild depression. Evidence shows it can protect people against the onset of depression and anxiety.
Physical activity causes a chemical change in the brain which can help change our mood.
Physical activity brings about a sense of greater self-esteem, self-control and the ability to rise to a challenge – all of which help improve wellbeing.