The resident choir at Royal Cornwall Hospital has announced ambitious plans to put their voices behind the Cornwall Birth and Baby Appeal with a 24 hour singathon event to be held in the autumn.

The aim for the marathon sing, to be held at Truro Methodist Church, is to raise £24,000 over 24 hours. The choir will be supported by numerous friends throughout the day and night. The full line-up, to be announced next month, will include musicians and choirs local schools choirs and musicians from throughout the county.

The choir does still have some opportunities for choirs, singing groups or musicians to join the programme and are particularly keen to hear from any male voice choirs or brass bands that would like to be involved.

Sarah Chaplin, one of the hospital chaplains who is leading the event, said: “The idea dropped into my head one day when thinking about giving our choir a project for the autumn. Part of my role involves work at the delivery suite and neo-natal unit in times of joys and sometimes sadness and I know we can together make such a massive difference with our fundraising and have a wonderful time singing together too.”

Throughout the day and night the choir and friends will sing familiar songs, covering all genres of music. Help and moral support is especially needed in the anti-social hours – late on Friday night (doors lock at midnight) and early on Saturday morning (doors open at 6am) as they sing through the night.

The choir which formed just before last Christmas, meets on a Tuesday and Friday lunchtime in the hospital chapel and has over 30 members from many different departments, including staff, volunteers and other employees based on the hospital site.

The 24hr Singathon for BABA will begin at 1pm on Friday, October 13. It will be open to the public for listening and donations from 1pm to 11pm on the Friday and 6am to 1pm on the Saturday. Donations to support the event can be made online at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fund/24hrSingathon or text BABA24 and your £donation amount to 70070.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the event should to contact Sarah by email at sarah.chaplin2@nhs.net. For information regarding the Cornwall Birth and Baby Appeal, contact Karen Murrish, fundraising manager at karen.murrish@nhs.net.