A space for mums and carers of babies of young children to sing together, reset, connect to nature and find support.

Join us for a FREE course of 6 Saturday morning singing sessions in the beautiful Goonown Growers Market Garden: sing, connect and nourish yourself alongside your little ones.

We will learn simple, beautiful songs from round the world by ear - no singing experience necessary!

Singing is proven to boost mood and physical and emotional wellbeing, and research shows it also combats post natal depresssion and anxiety, and is a great way to connect.

We'll also have time to talk and listen to each other and share support and solidarity as well as soaking up the magic of song and nature

This project is supported by FEAST on behalf of Creative Kernow, with funding from Arts Council England and Cornwall County Council

Bringing your children

Babies and kids are welcome - the intention is to make singing for wellbeing accessible for mums alongside your kids.

Please note you are responsible for the health and safety of any children accompanying you.

We expect kids and babies to make noise and do the things kids do during the session, this is totally welcome and you are free to meet their needs and enter/leave the session as necessary.

There is a compost toilet on site, and you are welcome to change nappies during the session if needed.

Kids are free to play, join in, sleep or feed while you sing. Songs are aimed at mums, so bring something to entertain older ones if they're likely to get bored - books, colouring, quiet toys.

There is no expectation for kids to stay still/quiet or join in

The site is a working farm with 2 wildlife ponds so please closely supervise mobile kids and please stay with them at all times. It's fine to leave the session and come back if you need to wander with your kids.

What to bring

A favourite quiet toy or book or a blanket to snuggle in for your little ones

Please bring appropriate clothing for random Cornish weather - warm layers, waterproofs

Rug, matt/blanket or cushion. There are chairs provided

Hot drinks provided - you may like to bring drinks and snacks

Weather

We have a lovely stretch tent and a cosy barn for shelter. If there's a weather warning of high wind or very heavy rain, I will take the decision to cancel and contact you by 9am on the day of the event.

Cancellation

Each place is fully funded- please let me know if you can't make it so I can offer the place to someone else kathy.ellwand@yahoo.com

About Songbirds

Songbirds is a singing group for parents and carers formed in 2019 in Cornwall to support mums and grans caring for young children. During lockdown in 2020 we began singing online.

Sessions are inclusive of children and combine mindfulness, embodied movement and deep listening with joyful songs and soothing lullabyes from round the world to boost wellbeing.

Songbirds is facilitated and founded by Kathy Ellwand, a mum and Creative Facilitator based in Cornwall, UK. Kathy trained in Community Music Leadership with Musicians Without Borders, and in Creative Facilitation with Partners for Youth Empowerment and LIFEbeat. She has been facilitating groups using creative arts for wellbeing for 20 years and she trains teachers and youth workers internationally in creative facilitation. Kathy is passionate about the power of song to help people connect and feel great. She is trained in Paediatric First Aid and Level 3 Safeguarding and ASIST Sucicide Prevention.

Songbirds singers said:

"Thank you for bringing song back into my life! I'm singing all the time now and I don't think that would have been the case if it weren't for this group. It's given me a lovely connection with my baby who loves it when I sing and his face lights up! That's also given me a lot of confidence with singing that I didn't have before"

"This group has kept me going and has been a big part of keeping depression at bay. It's also connected me to a possible future of singing... and be able to carry it through into my life. It feels so good for the mind and body to sing"

"Songbirds has been so important to me during the early months of Motherhood. A whole community of other Mums sharing singing is really heart warming."

Description supplied by the event organiser.