Last week the CPM team had the pleasure to support the Herbert Morrison Primary School in their performance at The Lambeth Music Festival, which took place on 29th March. It was a fantastic opportunity for the 30-member choir to sing their hearts out alongside 34 other schools. The school choir is helping students enjoy and reach their musical potential, hosting weekly choir practice with pupils ranging from 7 to 11 years old. The choir also forms part of "Choirs for Change", an initiative promoted by Health Poverty Action to raise money for charity through performances at care homes and other events.
Not only did the festival provide an opportunity for the students to showcase their musical talents, but it also had numerous social benefits for the children, teachers, and parents. The weekly choir practice sessions leading up to the festival helped the students develop their musical skills and it also fostered a sense of teamwork and camaraderie amongst the students.
Melloney Arnett, a teacher at the Herbert Morrison Primary School, shared: "The concert was a huge success and we were sooooo proud of our pupils who looked exceptionally smart which was all down to 'UK Car Park Management'. We cannot thank you and your team enough for giving our school the first opportunity to wear a choir uniform. It was a great moment for our children when they removed their coats on arrival and heard echoes of 'Wow! look at their sweat tops, they look so cool’."
One of the students, Lenny, age 10, added, "Our sweat tops were spectacular and it was very cool that we were the only school out of 24 with personalised sweat tops, very unique". Another student, Paris, said “I really like them and I think they represent Herbert Morrison really well”, whilst Sofia said “They are really nice and comfortable to sing in”.
The benefits of the festival extended beyond just the students - the parents and teachers who attended the event were able to see the positive impact that music education can have on children. It highlighted the importance of providing access to arts education and ensuring that all children have the opportunity to develop their talents and skills.
The entry fee for the Festival used to be paid for by the Lambeth Education Department, however this year each school was required to provide its own entry funding. We worked in collaboration with The Hyde Group to support this brilliant social value initiative; through our donation, we helped to cover the choir entry fees as well as a set of performance uniforms. We believe in the importance of supporting communities beyond our typical parking services, and we are thrilled to have been able to support the involvement of the school in such a wonderful event. Congratulations to Lenny, Paris, Sofia and the rest of the amazing kids at the Herbert Morrison Primary School choir on a fantastic performance!
