One of Nottingham’s most inclusive choirs has received a financial boost from global packaging firm The Wilkins Group as part of the business’s commitment to local charitable organisations.
Music for Everyone is a Nottingham-based charity with 19 adult and youth performing groups, providing inclusive choral and instrumental opportunities for more than 1,000 people.
Now, it has added £1,000 to its funds thanks to the Wilkins Group’s ongoing charitable donation programme.
Singing the praises of the business’s actions, Rachel Parkes, artistic director and choir leader, said:
“We are delighted to receive this donation from The Wilkins Group. It will help us continue providing free choir sessions for our participants.
“Our groups welcome people of all abilities and needs. As our charity name suggests, we offer music for everyone.”
The charity works with people of all ages and has around 500 regular members across its groups, as well as between 50 and 80 children participating in its youth orchestras, choirs and wind bands.
The £1,000 donation will support the charity’s Open Voices groups, which promote singing for health and wellbeing. These free-to-attend sessions serve learning disabled adults and those living with dementia at locations across the county including Sherwood, Beeston, Ruddington, West Bridgford and Mansfield.
Rachel said:
“Choirs provide significant social benefits as well as having a therapeutic element. Music stimulates almost every area of the brain, strengthens connections and can support learning, memory and concentration. Of course, the sessions are also tremendous fun.”
“Music can offer great benefits to people living with dementia, and our Open Voices groups are often the highlight of participants’ week. They also give carers a valuable break.”
The charity was founded as the Nottingham Choral Trust by Angela Kay MBE in 1983. Its aim was to promote weekend choral courses and concerts for singers from all walks of life in the Nottingham area.
Since then, the charity has grown significantly but has remained true to its principles. Its groups present a varied programme of concerts, including performances at Nottingham’s Albert Hall. The charity also runs its ‘Blow the Dust Off Your Instrument’ workshops for adults returning to music and raises funds through second-hand bookshops in Newark, Southwell and Hockley.
Aron Wilkins, joint managing director of The Wilkins Group, said:
“Music has a wonderful ability to lift spirits, create friendships and help people feel part of something.
“When we visited Music for Everyone and heard the choir sing, we were blown away by the power and harmony of their voices. It was a joy to see the happiness and sense of connection the group creates.”
For the past two years, The Wilkins Group has donated £1,000 each month to a different local charity. The Colwick-based family business has contributed £10,000 so far in 2026, supporting organisations including Robin Hood Theatre Company, Nottingham Youth Orchestra, Carlton Operatic Society, Young Creatives Nottingham and St John the Baptist Primary Academy.
The Wilkins Group is a family-run business which has grown from humble graphic design beginnings based in a rented building in Talbot Street, Nottingham, to a global firm. Remaining true to its founder’s ethos, it still has its UK headquarters in Nottingham, making it one of the East Midlands’ major employers, while also prioritising giving back to the community and workforce that has helped build the firm’s reputation and success.
Dedicated to improving the environmental impact of industry, the business creates packaging designs and innovations that aim to reduce and ultimately eradicate single-use plastics within the industry. It is already leading the way in alternatives including the use of compostable materials and oven-safe board trays for food packaging.
The Wilkins Group produces food packaging for brands including Pukka, Pizza Express, Harrods and Cadbury. It also is credited with producing bespoke and award-winning items such as eco-friendly coat hangers and the iconic M&S light-up glitter gin bottles.
For more information on The Wilkins Group, visit:www.wilkins.co.uk.
For more information on Music for Everyone visit: music-for-everyone.org
Posted on 26 October 2026
