“Leeds-based charity The Swan Song Project has recently been awarded a ‘Shine a Light’ award for going above and beyond to support bereaved people across the country.

When Sharna Matthews found out her lung cancer was terminal, she turned to music to process her feelings.

Mrs Matthews, who performs covers with her husband Jim at small venues in West Yorkshire, said recording her own funeral song had helped her to “deal with the hurt” of leaving loved ones behind.

Her song Think Of Me Again was produced by professional musicians at Leeds-based charity The Swan Song Project, which creates musical legacies for people nearing the end of their lives.

Mrs Matthews, 47, said her diagnosis was a “smack in the face” but that creating her swan song had helped her to “make sense of it all”.”

Read the full feature by Nicola Rees on the BBC Website here.

If you would like to support more people to write their Swan Songs, please consider donating to The Swan Song Project.

 

Every donation makes a big difference and helps more people to celebrate life in a song

 

 

 

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We believe everyone should have the opportunity to write their Swan Song. Thanks to the generosity of the public we are able to offer this service with no charge to participants.

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Keep an eye out for exciting volunteer opportunities with The Swan Song Project.

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We can provide flyers, collection tubs and promotional products to help make your fundraising a success. We can also help promote events going on in support of The Swan Song Project.

Interested in writing a song with us?

We can support anyone facing end of life and bereavement to write and record their own original song.
Please visit the “Writing A Song With Us” Page and submit the short form if you are interested in celebrating life in a song.

“Just wanted to thank you for being around at Marie Curie hospice, my son passed away on 22 March what was going on in his head is unimaginable. I know he enjoyed writing that song which must have provided some relief for him a break from the discomfort and stress perhaps. So a sincere thank you from myself and his family I hope you can keep up this good work”

“This has been one of the best memories I can recall in a long while. I will treasure this great gift always.”

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