How a local choir helped Shruti overcomes loneliness

The choir helped Shruti find her voice and some new friendships.

When Shruti moved to Belfast from India, with her husband, she didn’t know a single person and found things very different.

“I had no friends here. The culture is different, the weather is different; everything is different. It was difficult for me in the first few months to adjust to this new environment.”

Left at home all day while her husband was at work, Shruti, who was used to having a busy career at home, found herself increasingly isolated and lonely. However, an online advert for a new local choir, organised by the British Red Cross, caught her eye.

The Connected Voices Choir was started by staff and volunteers working on the Connecting Communities service, provided by the British Red Cross during our successful partnership with the Co-op.

“The first time I came here, I was a bit nervous, I didn’t know what to expect. I’d never been in a singing environment before, I’d never been to a choir.”

Like many new choir members, she was initially worried about what might be expected of her, but she instantly warmed to the positive and uplifting vibe at each rehearsal.


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