Members of the Bolton Hospital staff choir were recognised for their talent at an annual singing competition last week.

Our Voice Staff Choir, which is comprised of 15 members of staff from Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, won the Best Newcomer Sir Mark Elder award at this year's Hallé Workplace Choir competition.

The choir sang 'This Christmas' and 'Rise up Shepherd' during their festive performance.

Deputy Head Chaplain, Catherine Binns, said: "It was a lovely afternoon, full of singing, hearing others sing and then joining in all together for the big sing.

"We were over the moon and will probably be smiling for the next few weeks."

She added: "I joined the choir because I love to sing.

"I realised how important it was for my recovery after I was seriously ill with Covid-19 last October.

"One of the first things I did when I came out of hospital was to join the virtual choir rehearsal.

"My voice wasn’t great at that point but singing in a choir has been proven to help with recovery and my voice is stronger now."

Our Voice Staff Choir has now been running for three years and was initially set up to support staff well-being.

Clinical Nurse Specialist, Jo Bond, said: "Our Voice Staff Choir helped me just at the right time.

"I have been suffering with stress and I needed a place I could come and forget everything and just have my own head space.

"It's been instrumental in healing my mind."

The 15 members of the Our Voice Choir started rehearsing for the competition five weeks prior to the event.

Other choirs that took part in the annual competition included: BAE Systems. BASF, Sellafield, BAE Systems Submarines, Carol Kendrick Centre and Siemens.

The Hallé’s annual choir competition, which has taken place across the North of England for the past decade, was cancelled earlier this year due to lockdown restrictions.

However, throughout the pandemic, members of Our Voice Staff Choir continued to sing together and rehearse virtually for future competitions.

The members of the NHS staff choir are now back rehearsing in the hospital chapel.