A COMMUNITY choir which has three generations of families performing in it has been shortlisted for a prestigious award.

The Clark Community Choir, Musselburgh, are finalists in the National Youth Worker of the Year awards, which recognise outstanding achievements with young people who work with Scotland’s youth work sector.

The awards, run by YouthLink Scotland, acknowledged the choir as a unique concept, with the youngest member of the choir aged six and the oldest 86, with three generations of the same family featuring from time to time.

The choir was formed in 2010 in honour of local man, Robert Clark, who before his death, had run a project of music, dance and drama, the Clark Concert Party, since 1959.

The choir is a team effort, with members entertaining to fundraise and support local charities. The group also raise all their own cash for equipment, transport and the hire of rehearsal rooms.

Teenager Samantha Windram, 13, has been singing with the choir since she was eight years old.

She said: “Our oldest members are Joyce and Jim, who are both 86 and they are great fun.

“I love singing, I have learned that it doesn’t matter what age you are, I can have fun with folk older and younger than me, and you look out for one another when you are in a group like ours.” Having fun and looking after each other is at the heart of what the choir does, and that is why it has been nominated for the Youth Worker of the Year Intergenerational Award for the benefits to both old and young.

Nominator Irene Grant said: “All this gives our youngsters a sense of belonging to a community, which we feel is a vital part of their understanding of society as a whole and makes them good citizens.” There are 10 categories for the awards, with 27 finalists. The winners will be announced and presented with their awards at the National Youth Worker of the Year Awards Dinner in Glasgow’s Crowne Plaza Hotel on Thursday, March 12.

The event will be hosted by broadcaster and Forth One DJ Arlene Stuart and the awards presented by Acting Minister for Children and Young People, Fiona McLeod MSP.