The Cardiff and Vale Aphasia-Friendly Choir 2025

The Cardiff and Vale Aphasia Friendly Choir 2025

The Cardiff and Vale Aphasia-Friendly Choir project is part of a novel and innovative collaboration between the NHS Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff Metropolitan University and Chroma, and is supported by the Bevan Commission through the Bevan Fellows programme. This choir is a continuation of Cardiff and Vale’s award-winning inpatient aphasia-friendly choir, which to our knowledge, was the first of its kind in Wales.

We are extremely grateful to the Tavistock Trust for Aphasia for their support, which will help us to achieve the following aims.

 Aims of the Project:

  1. Empowering Individuals with Aphasia and neurologically related communication difficulties:
    1. Creating an inclusive space where individuals with acquired communication impairments, such as aphasia, can meet therapeutic objectives through music and singing.
    2. Enhancing participants’ well-being, confidence, and social participation.
  2. Student Development:
    1. Providing hands-on, practical experience for Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) and music therapy students.
    2. Cultivating skills in communication therapy, leadership, and inter-professional collaboration.
  3. Advancing Research:
    1. Exploring the benefits of the choir for individuals with communication difficulties.
    2. Identifying and addressing barriers to participation, to enhance engagement, accessibility and effectiveness.

Collaborative Framework:

The project represents a partnership between:

  • Cardiff and Vale University Health Board: Offering specialist speech and language therapy provision as part of the Community Neurological Rehabilitation Service.
  • Cardiff Metropolitan University: Integrating academic excellence and student support and involvement.
  • Chroma: Bringing in specialist music therapy delivery.
  • The Bevan Commission: Supporting innovation in health through the Bevan Fellows programme.

Funding and Expansion:

The Tavistock Trust for Aphasia’s funding will:

  • Enable the choir to expand its reach and impact within the community.
  • Support ongoing development, including the commissioning of a specialist music therapist.
  • Facilitate research into the choir’s therapeutic value and engagement challenges.

Student Involvement and Inter-Professional Awareness:

  • Speech and Language Therapy students: Gain clinical placement opportunities that combine music and speech and language therapy.
  • Music Therapy students: Contribute to the choir while enhancing their understanding of aphasia and other neurologically related communication difficulties and interdisciplinary approaches.
  • Inter-professional focus: Raising awareness of aphasia across diverse student and professional groups, while strengthening interdisciplinary knowledge and research, can help build more holistic care approaches; ultimately creating a more inclusive society for people with aphasia and other communication difficulties.