Charity album released by Barchester Healthcare band

A charity album has been produced by The Tin Shakers, a band made up of staff members of national care home group Barchester to raise money for the group’s charitable foundation.

The Tin Shakers was formed by drummer Malcolm McDonald who works for Barchester as a regional maintenance coordinator at Swindon care home White Lodge. All band members work for the independent care home provider and include a chef, an admin assistant and Barchester’s director of acquisitions, Jim Fodgen.

With over £7,000 already raised for charity through other projects, the band has produced an album covering songs from the 1960s to appeal to residents who might have known and enjoyed the songs when they were younger.

Mr McDonald said: “We decided to do a charity album for Barchester’s Charitable Foundation based on a calculation that if you were 20 when ‘Twist and Shout’ came out in 1961, then you are now 73.

“So we recorded an album of covers from Stroud’s Skyhook Studios that includes some of the greatest hits of the 60s and beyond including: ‘Lilly the Pink’ with the Barchester Choir, ‘Boots are made for Walking’ sung by Barchester’s Divisional Director Helen Maiello, and ‘Summer Wine’, featuring the Charitable Foundation’s Chairman Mike Parsons.”

The band hope to sell 500 copies which are now on sale for £5 at Barchester offices and care homes throughout the country. Barchester Healthcare has confirmed it will match the amount of money raised from sales of the CDs to double the total donation.

Mr McDonald was able to fund the project’s recording and production costs by securing sponsorship from a number of companies to ensure all money raised through the albums sales can go straight to the charity.

The Barchester Charitable Foundation provides practical support to older people and adults living with a mental or physical disability to increase their independence, self-sufficiency and dignity.

Barchester’s Charitable Foundation vice chairman, Chris Vellenowth, has commended the work of The Tin Shakers and said: “Malcolm and his band have already done so much for the Foundation and we are thrilled they have come up with this fun way of raising money for groups that help older people to lead positive and interesting lives.”

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