Inclusive carol aims to break down barriers & raise funds for GOSH Charity
Melanie May | 23 December 2021 | News
Whitbread-owned Premier Inn and long-standing partner Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH Charity) launched ‘Sign of the Season’, an inclusive Christmas carol, earlier this month, with the aim of both breaking down barriers, and raising funds for the charity’s Christmas appeal.
‘Sign of the Season’ is a multi-sensory Christmas carol requiring the use of Makaton, British Sign Language (BSL) and body percussion to perform. It is designed to help ensure that everyone is included in the magic of festive music with a carol that is as fun to perform as it is to watch, and has been touring with Some Voices Choir on doorsteps across the UK.
The multi-sensory carol – a mash up of festive favourites including Jingle Bells – is designed to be enjoyed by children treated at the hospital, as well as the wider community. It was made available to the public on Monday 6 December to learn as well as with the 30,000 strong Premier Inn and restaurants team members.
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As well as performances on doorsteps, tutorials are available to schools and the wider public, who are also encouraged to donate. For those wanting to get involved in the fun, videos of their own performances can be submitted to @Premierinn using the hashtag #PremierInnSignoftheSeason with the hope being to create the UK biggest Christmas carol music video.
Talent from across the UK came together to create and perform the carol: from celebrity choreographer Sean Moon, who has been working closely with Rose Ayling-Ellis on this year’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, children and young people who have been cared for at GOSH, recent Royal Variety performers Some Voices Choir, and the UK’s number one sign-singer ‘Fletch’.
Liz Tait, Director of Fundraising at GOSH Charity said:
“We’ve worked in partnership with Premier Inn for ten years and their fantastic fundraising has helped us transform many of the facilities available to patients and families at Great Ormond Street Hospital, in particular for children with sight and hearing loss through the opening of GOSH’s Sight and Sound Centre supported by Premier Inn, earlier in 2021.
“It’s brilliant to see Premier Inn’s ongoing commitment to children and young people from GOSH through the creation of this upbeat festive medley, and through their support of our annual Christmas fundraising campaign. We hope the nation enjoys the Sign Of The Season!”
Signductor Fletch added:
“‘Sign of the Season’ is designed to encourage more inclusion of deaf and blind children in arts-programmes, and ensures all Brits feel included in the magic of music this festive season. Music and the arts are incredibly important for a child’s development and performances like this give more the confidence to seek out opportunities to get involved…and others the confidence to provide them.”
Great Ormond Street Hospital’s Sight and Sound Centre supported by Premier Inn opened earlier this year. The facility, a first-of-its-kind, has transformed the experience and care of children and young people with sight and hearing loss from across the UK who travel to GOSH for treatment.
GOSH Charity pledged £25million towards the costs of the Centre, with employees, customers and suppliers from Premier Inn & Restaurants raising over £10million towards that target as part of its Force for Good sustainability programme.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.