COMMUNITY
It may not seem obvious, but in fact if you live with a respiratory condition that causes breathlessness, singing in a choir can bring huge advantages and improvement in your quality of life. This is the raison d’être of the community singing group, The Cheyne Gang, who meet in St John’s Colinton Mains Parish Church every second Monday from 11am to 1pm. The group starts again after their summer break on 10th September. The Cheyne Gang was set up five years ago by Pauline Waugh, Anne Ritchie and Sarah Marshall, Practice Nurses who specialise in respiratory conditions and who also enjoy singing in their spare time. It started as a research project to see if singing would bring long-term advantages to people living with conditions such as COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), asthma, bronchiectasis and other long term conditions causing breathlessness. It’s safe to say it has been very successful; it’s no longer about the research but about getting out, singing in a group, having fun, often leading to a reduction in the need for reliever inhalers and medication and the incidence of chest infections, improved sleep and many other benefits. (Incidentally, they are called The Cheyne Gang as they originally met in Cheyne Street, Edinburgh. There are now six groups, including the one here in Oxgangs). I spoke to Jaci Cunningham, the group’s administrator, to find out more. “I leaned about the Cheyne Gang via Pauline, who is a friend of mine and we are both members of Edinburgh’s “Sing in the City” Aw Blacks choir. So I was aware of what she was doing with the Cheyne Gang, and when I retired from nursing I decided to get involved.” The benefits to the choir members are measurable. Some of the Oxgangs group members are overseen by the Royal Infirmary, where their sprometry breathing test results have improved since joining. Besides the improvements in the respiratory condition itself, there is a host of other benefits. As Jaci explains, 38 | THE DELL
“If you have a respiratory condition, it can make you fearful when leaving home in case you get into trouble. But if you’re going out to a group of other people with similar conditions, it helps you feel less isolated, and is a great boost to your social life; especially perhaps for the older group members, as the respiratory conditions can contribute to low mood, isolation and loneliness.” The group sessions are led by a specialist voice coach and consist of breathing exercises, singing, great company, and, of course, tea and cakes! The Cheyne Gang recently sang at Jupiter Artland (near East Calder) accompanied by the Nevis Ensemble (www.nevisensemble.org) I wasn’t there, but watched the video clips online as part of learning about the group for this article. There was clearly a lot of energy, buzz and fun at the event; very impressive! So if you are breathless, or know someone who would benefit from joining the Cheyne Gang, please contact: • Jaci Cunningham - 07763 126789 • Anne Ritchie - 07769 322583 Visit www.thecheynegang.com or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
The Cheyne Gang is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) number SCO47259. This article was contributed by HelenJane Shearer after conversation with Jaci Cunningham of the Cheyne Gang. Helen-Jane is the Editor of the Dell Directory. @KonectMagazines
