To put this forward at the next community @ housing association meeting?

[fedupintheoffice]

I live in rather a deprived area with several huge tower blocks beside each other all owned by Housing Association who have monthly meetings for the residents to put their ideas across for activities to make a stronger and tighter community. Some things have been the big lunch where we all picniced in the gardens of the tower blocks, we do a regular get together in a room of one of the blocks and improve our IT skills, but a few days ago my DD said how lovely it would be when one Saturday or Sunday lunchtime, when the majority of residents should be in, if we all open our windows and sing some songs to the world in unison. I think it's a lovely idea and i'm sure people would hear several hundred people singing for miles around if most people took part! Will I sound crazy if I put it forward at the next meeting?

Yes.

Totally mental.

You will get very odd looks if nothing else. Sounds like a Coke advert! Nice though.

You could get in touch with that bloke who does the TV series about community choirs. Think it's on the Beeb - he turns up, invites people to come along and sees whether he can get choir going...

People might go for something that is a bit more organised. Singing in public (even out of your window) is a bit intimidating if you haven't done it before!

Thanks people DD is just 4 years old, so I think it was a great idea on her part! Her future job prospects lie within the Marketing dept of Coca Cola then, HowlingAtTheMoon? Ha ha ha!

Good job if you can get it Fedup! She sounds like a lovely girl.

I think thats adorable of your DD but if you suggested it at the meeting they would look at you as if you were not only unreasonable but a loony too.

ALl I can think of is the episode of Only Fools and Horses where Del Boy starts singing outside Nelson Mandela House, and then someone hangs out the window and starts joining in, and it causes a riot!!!

It would only work if you had media contacts and suggested it in the context of positive coverage to boost residents morale, as someone suggested with the community choir guy thing.

Perhaps change the idea slightly to a community sing-song - perhaps in the communal garden or indoors somewhere.

You could always suggest a forum where the kids on the estate put their ideas forward, and then one a month or whatever gets chosen?

What about having it as a carol concert nearer christmas?

I think maybe a community sing song in a central area would be agood idea, and then if there were old people or disabled people, or people who didn;t feel like coming out then they could join in from their windows/balconies.

You'll need to get words together etc and give out song sheets to appeal to everyone..

If you emtnion it, definately make a big thing of it being your DD's idea..!!

Not sure about the singing out of the windows thing, but you should definitely start a community choir.

A carol singsong would be a great idea, as plenty of people know the tunes so could join in, if they had the words.

You could even contact the Salvation Army to see if they'd send some of their bandmembers to accompany the singing - there's something so festive about a brass ensemble playing christmas carols.

I tell you what would be really useful is if you get CAB down to do a morning workshop on money management, and someone from a credit union also.

otherwise how about a children's halloween party?

Pmsl!

Singing out of the windows = totally mad

Singing in a concert and maybe with carol singing round the blocks follwed by hot chocolate = brilliant idea!

Christmas carols and Mulled wine in some sort of central area...??