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This year at Love Soul Choir, we have organised four events purely for the men at Love Soul Choir.  Although singing and performing is at the heart of what we do, providing a choir experience that enhances the lives of our members is such an important priority for us. 

We know that mental health obviously effects all genders but due to societal pressures, statistically, men are three times more likely to die by suicide. Without stereotyping, it’s been proven that men generally find it harder to create deeper bonds and friendships with others and many can also find it harder to open up and share how they might be feeling. 

Why do we want to do more?

We also know that singing can help improve mental wellness and as a choir, we’re really passionate about encouraging our members to connect with each other on a deeper level too. We know that social bonding and cohesion has been proven to improve wellness by fostering a sense of belonging, providing emotional support, encouraging healthy behaviours, and reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, ultimately leading to improved mental and physical health. For us we thought it was essential to do something to further support our male members.

What have we done?

We’ve already hosted the first of our four events and it was lovely. We headed to a pub in Ringwood (a central location between Southampton & Bournemouth) to just hang out, chill, and chat. It was so relaxed and we felt it was important for the first event to be relaxed. We chatted about a number of different topics, many members shared updates on their day and we had a lot of laughs too. It was so wonderful to see everybody connect a little more and learn a bit more about each other too. This first event has definitely helped create a stronger bond between the men at sessions which has been lovely to see.

What’s coming up?

Later this year, we’re heading to a driving range for a bit of golf. Why? We wanted to find an activity that everybody could do and an activity with a bit of purpose too. I’m sure there will probably be a tiny bit of competition involved too which should be fun. The shared activity of playing golf, regardless of skill level, can create a sense of camaraderie and shared memory.

In the summer, we’re off to Bournemouth for an evening beach walk. Being near the sea can be incredibly grounding and having the chance to chat and hang out should be awesome. No pressure, no expectations, just time together – in the sun – hopefully.

The last event of the year will be a few rounds of bowling. Similarly to golf, an activity can be a good mutual way to connect and bond over something different. It’s a fun, low-pressure activity that encourages teamwork, communication, and shared experiences. We’re looking forward to seeing if any of our members require the sides to be up! 🤣

The impact…

Love Soul Choir is so much more than just a choir. We want to have a meaningful impact on the lives of our members and these types of events go a small way towards ensuring this.