To mark National Volunteers Week, I was sent by the Weymouth Volunteer Centre to help out with a band that patients with the Community Mental Health Team has formed.

They've been going for a few years and have become popular at community centres in the area.  They perform familiar songs like the Beatles, Abba, and songs from the shows.  They encourage people to sing along and they include some great musicians. 

I had a very enjoyable morning singing along, and we entertained some visitors from a hospital in Romania.  They are in Weymouth looking at work with mental health patients here.  I think they were impressed with what they saw.  I could certainly see the benefits to self confidence of performing music and having fun doing it!

I was also keen to do something to support the voluntary sector.  Locally the Borough and County Councils have been cutting back funding to voluntary groups.  Given what excellent value for money we get from this sector I think it is a mistake.  The irony is the Tories are making these decisions locally whilst their leader nationally keeps going on about moving services from the public to the voluntary sector!