The Voice brings clients and carers together to celebrate three years of domiciliary care

A contestant from the second series of The Voice joined clients and families in Blackpool last week to celebrate a domiciliary care company’s third birthday.

Musical director Emma Louise Jackson who auditioned for The Voice in 2013 was there to organise and lend her expertise and voice as Transitions Care Fylde joined the Revoe-lution choir for an afternoon of singing.

Ms Jackson who sang in River Deep, Mountain High in front of a panel of judges which included Jessie J, Tom Jones, Danny O’Donahue and Will.i.am helped set up the Revoe-lution choir seven years ago. She said: “We have 52 members of the choir and it all started after my audition of The Voice.

“I was shopping in [the supermarket] when a lady said: ‘would you know anyone who could set up a choir?’ I went around for a cuppa and that’s how it started.”

When asked what advice the judges gave you after your audition, Ms Jackson said: “Will.i.am said, 'do what makes you happy, it’s not the end of the world.'

Ms Jackson is still singing in the Blackpool area. “On Saturday I did a show at the tower and then we’re down to the Central Pier as we all walk in convoy and I’ve also got my choir singing for me on the pier for VE day.”

’Some of the people that we originally invited passed away, which is really sad, so the song was for them’

Transitions Care and members of the Revoe-lution choir met at Ibbotson Court in Blackpool. The word Revoe comes from an area in Blackpool which is currently undergoing regeneration.

Transitions Care manager Peter Brooks said: “It’s a hub in a vulnerable area of Blackpool and one of the successes of that area is the choir.

“Transitions staff members, clients and their families came along which was fantastic, we had an age range from seven years to the oldest member of the choir being 97."

Everyone who came along sang I’d like to Teach the World to Sing. “I was very impressed when some of the choir did the song in sign language, that was lovely. There are lots of people there who have lots of problems, so we’re talking people with mental health issues, people with eviction issues, people with learning disabilities so a whole host of different needs were catered for.”

The choir even sang the song We’ll Meet Again as a tribute to one of their clients who recently died. “This has been in the planning for some time and some of the people that we originally invited passed away, which is really sad, so the song was for them.

“One of the people that was there last week is now in bed and receiving end of life care.”

The feedback that Mr Brooks has had from the clients and families which were there was very positive. He said: “I got hugs from some of the people and thanks from family members. Team members also thought it was great. The whole thing has been very positive and one of the people that we support is going to join the choir.”

Ms Jackson and Mr Brooks are both very heavily involved in local charities around the Blackpool area.

Ms Jackson said: “I am heavily involved in the Swallows head and neck cancer charity and a homeless charity in Blackpool.”

While Mr Brooks has helped organise a charity fundraising ball for Alzheimer’s Society. “It was a privilege to be invited to work with Anne Nolan and help organise the ‘In the Mood for Caring Ball' which raised money in memory of her mum Maureen,” he says.

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