Forge students mark local charities day with music and kindness
Students started Friday by donating 170kg (376lbs) of items to the
Quinton and Oldbury Foodbank. The food bank is a project founded by local churches and community groups, working together towards stopping hunger in our local area.
To help students at Forge celebrate the work of local charities, they were joined by renowned vocal coach and singer,
CeCe Sammy.
CeCe visited as part of the
Speakers for Schools initiative which has now reached more than half-a-million students. The programme brings together leading figures in public life from diverse backgrounds to deliver individual talks in state schools and colleges throughout the country.
CeCe, along with performers Sirine, Asher Knight, Christie Alana and James CC, spoke and sung to a full hall of over 500 year 7 and year 8 students about the power and motivation of music. CeCe, in particular, is a great believer in young people finding their voice through music.
She commented: “
Music reaches us sometimes when other things can’t and being able to express yourself through music or any creative art is something we must hold tightly and celebrate.”
CeCe continued: “
Being involved in the Government initiative for local charities day and giving my time to Speakers For Schools means a lot to me. I’m delighted to be here, in Sandwell, celebrating the day with the Forge students and hopefully making a difference at many different levels.”
Often referred to as ‘The UK’s Vocal Whiz’, CeCe Sammy has worked in many capacities with an impressive roster of talent and industry bigwigs including Diana Ross, Will Young, Leona Lewis, Spice Girls, Charlotte Church, Russell Watson, S Club 7 and Simon Cowell among others. She has appeared as a vocal coach on Let’s Sing and Dance for Comic Relief, Pop Idol, The Xtra Factor and The Voice UK among many other projects.
CeCe and her guests also treated a small group of performing arts students at Forge to a masterclass where Sirine, a 12-year-old blind girl with an incredible voice, sang and spoke about her life and the positive influence that music has had on it.
The principal of Ormiston Forge Academy, Andrew Burns, commented: “
We speak a great deal about the Forge family, today we welcomed CeCe and her friends into our family. A family is all about looking out for one another and helping each other; it’s incredibly humbling to see a group of people like Speakers For Schools, Quinton and Oldbury Foodbank, CeCe and Forge, come together to make a difference. If ever there was a great Christmas story, it’s right here.”
