People from across Middlesbrough will gather to mark Dementia Awareness Week by enjoying music and sharing experiences together.

The Big Sing is hosted by the team from Dementia Friendly Churches, which is supported by several denominations, along with Together Middlesbrough and Cleveland and Ageing Better Middlesbrough.

There will be a mixture of songs from folk tunes to musicals to rock and roll and the organisers promise something for everyone.

It’s open to everyone, not just those living with dementia or directly affected by it, and takes place at St Mary’s Church Hall on the corner of Green Lane, Acklam, Middlesbrough, on Wednesday May 17 at 2.30pm.

Participation in musical activities is known to make a difference to people living with any stage of dementia. Singing for the Brain sessions have become increasingly popular in recent months.

The first such session in Teesside is now two years old and runs every other Tuesday at the Trinity Centre in North Ormesby. It has now been expanded to include a session at St Mary’s Church Hall and a further session based on the model is about to begin at Thorntree Hub on Thursday afternoons.

For further information on the Big Sing and North Ormesby and Acklam Singing for the Brain sessions, please contact Maddy Fisher by emailing Maddy.fisher@togethermc.org or by calling 07532 744924.

For information about Thorntree Music and Movement through Song, contact Lesley Tart at m.tart28@btinternet.com.