Helen

I was born in Yorkshire and I lived in Wales where I went to university and then I lived in the Lake District and I’ve been in London for 30 years .

The smell of grass reminds me of home because when I was a small child where we lived there was some open land with daisies and one of my earliest memories was making daisy chains. 

My favourite animal is a dormouse because they are cute and they sleep all through the winter and when they wake up they’ve lost weight so I think that’s the most amazing thing. 

I meet a lot of people who have had a lot of trauma and a lot of struggle and grief in their lives and when I’m working with them they are so resilient and determined to make the best of their lives and it puts my world in perspective. We can get quite depressed about how the world is but actually I look at the other people I’m working with and their spirit and hopefulness and I think “come on, get a grip”.

Do you know what, I’m really happy when I sing because I forget everything else. 

I love singing and I think it helps you, its good for your well being and your soul and it stops you thinking about your the other things in your world that might be stressing you out. You can just be joyous. 

I think the choir a wonderful place of sanctuary for all of us, a place of joy and friendship and hope.

At the gig at Westminster Hall for the UN I was just pinching myself, I can’t believe I’m here in this amazing place listening to all these influential people and singing on the stage. 

It’s not exactly unexpected but I came to London because I wanted to have a more cosmopolitan experience but I don’t think I ever quite imagined how many different nationalities I would meet. That continues to amaze me how amazingly diverse London is in terms of people, food and fashion. 

I just hope that peace and good sense will out and we will end up in a less unpredictable time for people

I wish people that come here would get instant asylum and would be able to work. The system is too hostile.

Be nice!