Founded in June 2012 Bolton Cancer Voices is an inspirational, welcoming Choir open to anyone who has received a cancer diagnosis of any type, at any time.

We have members newly diagnosed and in treatment, some living with cancer as a non-curable condition and others who are cancer survivors, now many years on from their diagnosis. This is our only criterion for membership. We currently have around 40 members and aspire to become 70 strong: with no less than 14 individual tumour groups represented by one or more members. There are no geographical restrictions, as long as people can travel to Bolton for rehearsals.

The Choir provides a positive, motivational and diversionary environment where members have fun, enjoy the challenges and exhilaration of performing and have a focus aside from their illness. It offers an informal forum to meet with others in a similar situation and benefit from mutual support and understanding. When we surveyed our members, 80% of respondents reported that they felt they had benefited physically, mentally or emotionally from being in the Choir, with stated outcomes including improved breathing, increased energy levels, a more positive outlook and an increased sense of well-being.

In addition to the unusual membership criterion of Bolton Cancer Voices, remarkably also, we have no membership fees! From the outset this has been fundamental to our ethos, as financial worries can be one of the hidden effects of cancer and we didn’t want to create a barrier to people participating in something that may prove beneficial to them.

It does however mean that we have to find alternative sources of funding our annual running costs of around £7,000, as well as ensuring we have the necessary money to continue growing and developing the Choir: the more ambitious our plans become the greater our costs increase!

Though cancer brings the Choir together it is not allowed to define or restrict us: we are a community Choir like any other with a full programme of appearances and activities along with many dreams and aspirations!

With your kind help we can achieve a phenomenal, once in a lifetime opportunity, appearing at the Royal Albert Hall, London, next year, in a concert raising money for Cancer Research UK.

Bolton Cancer Voices is amongst a handful of Choirs from the North West who will be following the glittering road to one of the world’s most iconic concert venues.

The ‘Festival Of Brass And Voices’ has been held every 3 years almost two decades and brings together Choirs from across the United Kingdom, together with two Brass Bands with international repute – The Cory Band and Grimethorpe Colliery Band. The spectacular event will see over 1,000 voices raised in what promises to be an outstanding musical extravaganza.

There really couldn’t be a more pertinent event for us to be a part of, as cancer research in the broadest sense has saved, extended or improved the quality of life of every one of our members. The Choir symbolizes the enormous strides achieved by cancer research through the decades, right across the cancer pathway from diagnosis to survivorship. Current statistics show that 1 in 2 of us born after 1960, will ultimately receive a cancer diagnosis at some point in life. The Choir sends a clear message to anyone whose life is touched by this disease, that there is life with and beyond cancer.

It’s a big risk for us because of the financial implications: it is by far, our most ambitious and costly undertaking to date, but to us no price can be put on the benefits our members derive from their involvement in the Choir. The sum sought includes purchase of music, travel to regional rehearsals ahead of the event, travel to and from London, travel to and from the Royal Albert Hall, 2 nights accommodation, meals and a contingency. We are delighted that we have already raised £2,000 towards our target of £13,715.

Everyone is so excited about the prospect of taking part in such a large-scale and prestigious event. It will definitely take us to the next performance level in terms of technical ability, performance skills and confidence.

Though it will be a demanding weekend for those less well, a distraction from the physical, psychological, emotional and social challenges that can be part of a cancer journey, will be most welcome and bring a renewed sense of normality to life, at a time when it can feel that so much is beyond your control. The weekend will provide us with some quality time together, allowing deeper bonds to establish and strengthening the supportive environment, which permeates throughout the Choir.

No one knows better than our members that receiving a cancer diagnosis can be life-changing but being part of Bolton Cancer Voices can be life-affirming. Our members are truly amazing: they seize the day and live life to the full no matter what their story. We owe it to them to keep fresh, exciting and challenging opportunities on the horizon, so everyone has something positive to focus on, no matter what else may be happening in their life.

Please visit our Facebook page to read more about the Choir and see what we’ve been up to over the last five years - Bolton Cancer Voices

Any monies raised in excess of the target sum will be used to run the Choir and provide more inspirational opportunities for members.