RESIDENTS of a Barnoldswick care home have combined with another home to form a large choir.

The Elderberries, made up of residents from the Cravenside Care Home in Barnoldswick and the Castleford Care Home in Clitheroe, have joined up to sing some of the "old favourites".

The idea for the choir came from managers of the care homes. The first session was loosely planned and impromptu. However, owing to its success, the group are now hoping to meet regularly.

Julie Cowgill, registered care manager at Cravenside, said: "A lot of our residents really enjoy getting together for these sessions. They're able to sing some of their favourite songs and it's great ! to be able to do that with a new group of people.

"There's a lot of research about the health benefits of singing, including for older people.

"These include physical benefits such as getting more oxygen into the bloodstream and exercising different muscle groups, even if the singer is sitting down. But there are also psychological benefits, as singing helps people to feel relaxed and can improve their sense of wellbeing."