The Heart n Soul choir is for those with learning difficulties. Pic: Tim Mitchell

A Deptford choir for people with learning disabilities are crowdfunding to keep their choir free for an entire year.

Heart n Soul, a creative arts company who work with people with learning disabilities, started a fundraising campaign online on February 18, with a goal to raise £6200 to keep their choir free.

Cherry Franklin, 32, Communications Officer for Heart n Soul, said: “It was inspired by a chap called Michael Price, a composer who’s composed music for the Sherlock TV programme. He’s also our trustee for Heart n Soul.

“He was there right at the beginning and he gave us a lot of the passion and excitement for the project. He also put us in touch with Penny Manser, who is the choir leader, everyone in the choir has played a key part in the project.”

Heart n Soul have been based in Deptford for 30 years and is currently celebrating their 30th anniversary.

The campaign will not only make the choir free but will also help with future performance opportunities, rehearsal spaces and Penny Manser’s contribution to the choir.

Lizzie, 28, from Heart n Soul, said: “It’s an eight-week campaign so it will stay up on the website until after the performance on April 7, at a bar in Deptford, called Buster Mantis. The event will be a celebration of how much we’ve raised already and inviting people who’ve donated to come along and meet the choir and thank everyone.”

The choir was also set up as a way of getting people to come together and have fun. Robin, 23, a choir member, said: “I just wanted to do something fun to get involved with something that I enjoyed doing.

There’s a lot of smiley faces about and we get to laugh and have a good time. The project and choir is very important to us and we need people’s help to keep donating to our choir.”

Anyone who wishes to donate to the choir, can do so on their crowdfunding site.