Altrincham
text caption 2
text caption 3
text caption 4
text caption 5
Altrincham Duck HQ
duckhq@altrinchamduck.co.uk
Altrincham Duck
Helping Altrincham since 2014
Its been a while since we did anyupdate here, but just to let you know that team Altrincham Duck is still very much alive and kicking
Why Choir? 
by Rose de la Font and Aagash Vadera
You know that feeling when you’re singing in the car, or in the shower, or while doing the dishes,
or putting up the laundry? Belting out a banger, wherever and whenever that may be, seems to
dissolve the nuisances of the outside world (if only until the end of the song). It leads to some sort
of boundless bliss that only you are privy to. Everyone has a soundtrack to their life, and being
the architect of both is a satisfying freedom.
Well - take that feeling, multiply it by 50, and you approach the heights of joy reserved for CHOIR!
There has been in recent times a change in the public attitude towards communal singing
activities. No longer exclusive to church hymns, it has become a serious (and not so serious)
hobby in its own right. Choirs are certainly having a moment in the sun. Now that the sun-dappled
courtyards are ready to welcome the gaggle of choral sounds, it seems appropriate to make the
case for why we all should be engaging with our inner Gareth Malone. So here follows three of
many reasons (the aforementioned notwithstanding):
1. It’s good for you
Choir improves your physical, emotional, and social well-being. That may be three reasons in
one, but it stands to bear: the benefits of choir to the individual are myriad. The fundamentals of
healthy singing include controlling your breathing, maintaining a good posture, and releasing
tension in your body. Singing is a stress-reliever, confidence-booster and friend-maker. It’s a shot
of mental alertness, improving your concentration and memory. In a choir, there’s no choice but to
be in the moment, as part of a whole, with the same goal as those around you. It’s mindfulness in
music.
2. It’s good for the people around you
Choirs don’t just sing together; they laugh together, mess up together, sound like a racket
together and have fun together. If there’s a part of you that is apprehensive about singing out loud
in a group of strangers there’s solace that it’s mutual - the fear is shared, as is the joy! What’s
more, the mind that’s always curious, learning, and looking for new hobbies is a happier one. And
if you can share that hobby with others, isn’t that better?
3. It’s good for the communitySociety seems to have cottoned on to the indispensability of communal activities. The essential
nature of people to come together, in whatever form, simply for the feeling of being together,
without a screen to mediate (or a mute button), is crucial to our wellbeing, and recent events have
only amplified this. Choir is a fun, healthy and social way to explore a new hobby that may leave
you feeling like an interconnected node in a network. I won’t go as far as to say it’s the elevation
of the individual to a kind of collective consciousness, nor that the transcendence itself is a kind of
magic, nor that it leads to all your worries being momentarily suspended in devotion to a greater
goal. That would be a bit dramatic!
After all, it’s only choir.
Rose is a singing and piano teacher with a passion for choirs. If you are interested in joining one
of her new community pop choirs based in Altrincham and Chorlton you can find more information
on her website: www.ilikesinging.com/choirs
PEOPLE across the region are being encouraged to look beyond Lockdown by making a date to join Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life in Cheshire.
The charity’s much-loved events are aiming to return to the county later in the year but with socially distanced measures to help keep participants safe. Anyone who signs up this January can claim a special 30 per cent off the entry fee by using the code JAN2021.
COVID-19 has caused a devastating loss of research funding. Cancer Research UK is predicting a staggering £300 million drop in income over the next three years which could put future medical breakthroughs at risk. That’s why the charity is calling on men, women and children to fight back against the devastating disease by entering a Race for Life event. Money raised will help scientists find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, helping to save more lives.
Every year around 42,300 people are diagnosed with cancer in the North West* and one in two people in the UK born after 1960 will get cancer in their lifetime.**
The Race for Life events take place at Tatton Park on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 June and are open to people of all ages and abilities.
Caitlin Holme, Cancer Research UK’s Event Manager for Cheshire, said: “All 400 mass-participation Race for Life events across the UK were cancelled last year to protect the country’s health during the COVID-19 pandemic. So this year, more than ever, we need people to come together and help beat the disease.
“The truth is, COVID-19 has slowed us down. But we will never stop and we are absolutely determined to continue to create better cancer treatments for tomorrow.
“Every step our scientists take towards beating cancer relies on our supporters. Our Race for Life events are open to all and we’re sending a heart-felt message to everyone to come together in 2021. As always at our events, the health and safety of participants, staff and volunteers is our top priority. It may be that events look a little different this year but we are working proactively with our venues and suppliers to deliver a socially distanced but great experience.”
Participants will set off on the course either alone or in small socially distanced groups. Hand sanitiser will also be provided at all events with participants encouraged to use it before and after the event.
Caitlin explained: “Although ‘Race’ features in the name, our events are not competitive. Instead, ‘the Race for Life’ is about our doctors, nurses and scientists working as hard and fast as possible to help more people survive.
“We’ll ask participants to respect social distancing before, during and after the event. It means that this year people should refrain from hugging others at the finish line. But we promise our events will remain fun, colourful, emotional and uplifting.
“Participants, all united in a common cause to beat cancer, take part at their own pace. For some people, the Race for Life is literally a walk in the park. Slow and steady still wins. For others, it’s a jog or a run. But what is for certain is we’re looking forward to welcoming people across Cheshire back.
“We hope that none of our Race for Life events are cancelled in 2021 and will do everything we can to keep people safe. If we do have to cancel any of our events we will let participants know as soon as possible and they will be entitled to a refund.”
Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, in partnership with Tesco, is an inspiring series of 3k, 5k, 10k, Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids events which raise millions of pounds every year to help beat cancer by funding crucial research. This year is the 20th anniversary of Tesco’s partnership with Race for Life.
Money raised through Race for Life events funds world-class research to help beat 200 types of cancer – including bowel cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, testicular cancer, brain cancer, children’s cancers and leukaemia.
Caitlin added: “The Race for Life is a powerful, inspirational movement which unites participants in Cheshire with people across the North West and the whole of the UK.
“People get together and remember loved ones lost, or celebrate the lives of those who have survived. At the same time, they are helping to make a difference to people with the disease, right now.
“Please go to the Race for Life website, choose an event, and sign up today.”
To enter, visit raceforlife.org