Suffolk Song Birds Concert in Olney in aid of Dementia

A Suffolk-based choir is organising a fundraiser for Dementia UK, the dementia specialist nursing charity, and is calling on the local and national community to get involved.

Suffolk Song Birds is a ladies choir that draws members from Song Circle, a ladies choir with rehearsal venues in Bury St Edmunds, Ixworth, Pakenham, Hadleigh, Norton and Long Melford. Suffolk Song Birds is organising a concert “Timeless Melodies: From Sacred Roots to Modern Classics on Saturday 26th September 2026 at 7pm, at the Church of St Peter & St Paul, Church Street, Olney, Bucks, MK46 4AD.

Suffolk Song Birds’ choir leader, Anna Winton Mills, decided to fundraise for Dementia UK because she recently lost her father after he lived with dementia for several years. He had lived in Olney, and is buried in the churchyard of St Peter & St Paul. The money raised will help the charity to provide more dementia specialist Admiral Nurses, to support families facing dementia.

Together with the rest of the extended choir, Suffolk Song Birds and Song Circle have already raised over £6500 (plus gift aid) this year, by singing non-stop for 12 hours with an audience who ate cake and drank tea in aid of Dementia UK. A memory wall was put up, with photographs of loved ones who had lived or were living with dementia.

Suffolk Song Bird’s choir leader, Anna Winton Mills said: “My father, Shaun, experienced a very rapid decline living with Vascular Dementia which developed after two mini strokes. It was an immensely difficult time for Dad and for us as we watched him gradually lose most of his skills. Finding a cure for this distressing illness which affects so many families is vitally important, and I'm delighted that Suffolk Song Birds is committed to this fundraiser in his home town. The funds raised will enable the continuing provision of Admiral Nurses who do wonderful work supporting all affected by dementia.”

Every three minutes, someone in the UK develops dementia: a progressive and complex condition that can be devastating for the whole family. It’s a huge and growing health crisis and is the leading cause of death in the UK.

Admiral Nurses are continually supported and developed by Dementia UK, to provide life-changing advice and support to anyone affected by dementia, whenever it’s needed. They work on the free national Admiral Nurse Dementia Helpline, in face-to-face and virtual clinics, and in the community, in GP practices, hospitals, and care homes.

Joanna Sullivan, Head of Community Fundraising, Events and Innovation at Dementia UK said: “We are so grateful to Suffolk Song Birds for organising this fundraiser for Dementia UK. One in two of us will be affected by dementia in our lifetime - either by caring for someone with the condition, developing it ourselves, or both. It can be exhausting and overwhelming, not only for the person with dementia, but also for the people caring for them, and their wider family and friends.

“Thanks to the hard work of our amazing fundraisers like Suffolk Song Birds, more families than ever will be able to access the life-changing support offered by our Admiral Nurses.”

Suffolk Song Birds welcomes sponsorship for this concert via the donations page https://www.justgiving.com/page/song-circle or by payment at the door on attending the concert.

Suffolk Song Birds say “Every song will bring us closer to making a difference for those living with dementia.”