{"id":1107430,"date":"2026-07-23T22:54:23","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T22:54:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1107430\/"},"modified":"2026-07-23T22:54:23","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T22:54:23","slug":"widower-praises-power-of-community-groups-for-giving-him-new-lease-of-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1107430\/","title":{"rendered":"Widower praises power of community groups for giving him new lease of life"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

A widower has hailed the \u201clife-changing\u201d impact of community groups for helping him emerge from years of loneliness and solitude to find his voice as a singer in one of Leeds\u2019s best-known choirs.<\/p>\n

Colin Clark, 64, of Middleton, now performs sell-out shows to audiences of several hundred as a member of the prominent Leeds Male Voice Choir \u2013 marking a dramatic transformation from the isolation that once kept him confined to his home.<\/p>\n

He said reaching out to a local community group was \u201cthe greatest thing I\u2019ve ever done in my life\u201d as the friendships and encouragement he went on to receive gave him the confidence to follow his interests and sing in public for the first time.<\/p>\n

The power of community involvement in improving and protecting the health of people across Leeds is the subject of this year\u2019s annual report by Leeds City Council\u2019s Director of Public Health, Victoria Eaton.<\/p>\n

The report, \u2018Communities at the Centre: Creating better health together in Leeds\u2019 \u2013 to be presented to city health leaders at the Health and Wellbeing Board later today (23 July 2026) \u2013 celebrates the critical value of community and voluntary organisations in enhancing people\u2019s health and wellbeing and reducing inequalities.<\/p>\n

For Colin, the turning point began when a neighbour noticed he was struggling and mentioned charity Health for All, which has been supporting south Leeds communities for 35 years.<\/p>\n

The charity is part of the Better Together programme, commissioned and funded by Leeds City Council public health team, supporting grassroots organisations to improve health and reduce isolation, particularly in deprived areas.<\/p>\n

Colin had found himself retreating from the outside world following the death of Carol, his wife of 28 years, to cancer in 2019. This was further compounded when his disabled adult daughter, who he had been a full-time carer for, moved into permanent supported living care in 2023 at the age of 29.<\/p>\n

He said:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWhen my wife died, I tried to keep everything together for my daughter but it was very difficult. It was the hardest time of my life. By the time my daughter moved out, I had no independent existence \u2013 no life, no friends. I was just sitting, staring at walls.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Reaching out to Health for All led to him joining a walking group and a men\u2019s health group, where a newly-made friend suggested he join local choir, the Middle-Tones.<\/p>\n

As his passion and confidence for singing grew, Colin was also encouraged to audition for Leeds Male Voice Choir and last year won a place as a baritone.<\/p>\n

He has since performed multiple concerts and gone on tour with the choir, which was founded in 1916 at nearby Broom Pit, and is well-known, particularly in northern England.<\/p>\n

Colin said:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cTaking those initial first steps opened a lot of doors for me and changed my life pretty much overnight. I\u2019ve gone from a place where I was living quite a lonely and reclusive existence and didn\u2019t know how to talk to people, to actually having a life, enjoying myself and being happy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve made new friends and I\u2019m always astounded people are paying to hear me sing. The impact on my mental health has been staggering. It gives me a real buzz.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/a>Colin, pictured centre, with Leeds Male Voice Choir at a recent concert. Credit: Stage Shots Photography<\/p>\n

Health for All is one of 3,375 voluntary, community and faith sector (VCFS) organisations working to support Leeds\u2019 many and diverse communities.<\/p>\n

Leeds City Council and partners have a long history of close collaboration with these organisations at community-level \u2013 a way of working described in the report as a real \u201cstrength of Leeds\u201d.<\/p>\n

Examples of this work highlighted in the report include:<\/p>\n