PREMIER INN & GREAT ORMOND STREET HOSPITAL CHILDREN’S CHARITY TEAM UP TO LAUNCH A NEW INCLUSIVE CHRISTMAS CAROL AND RAISE FUNDS FOR THE CHARITY’S ANNUAL CHRISTMAS APPEAL
The fund-raising carol, which will be touring UK-doorsteps this December, has been created to help everyone enjoy the magic of music this Christmas – with choirs across the UK also being challenged to get involved and help raise funds, by learning and performing it themselves.
Whitbread-owned Premier Inn, in partnership with its long-standing partner Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH Charity), launches ‘Sign of the Season’, an inclusive Christmas carol to break down barriers, with a live performance in Covent Garden and calls for the UK to get involved before kicking off a nationwide doorstep tour.
‘Sign of the Season’ is a unique, multi-sensory Christmas carol that requires the use of Makaton, British Sign Language (BSL) and body percussion to perform. It is designed to help ensure that everyone is included in the magic of festive music with a carol that is as fun to perform as it is to watch. It will be toured by Some Voices Choir on doorsteps across the UK.
Dubbed ‘the Stomp of Christmas carols’, the multi-sensory carol – a mash up of festive favourites including Jingle Bells – is designed to be enjoyed by children treated at the world-famous hospital, as well as the wider community. It will be made available to the general public on XXX to learn as well as with the 30,000 strong Premier Inn and restaurants team members.
It aims to delight and inspire, bringing different people together through music this Christmas after long periods of necessary isolation have kept people across the UK away from friends and loved ones – and to raise money for the GOSH Charity annual Christmas appeal.
With a new report conducted by Premier Inn revealing that over 40% of Brits said Christmas songs raised their spirits, the ‘Sign of the Season’ carol has been rolled out across Britain, with performances coming to doorsteps near you throughout December and tutorials being made available to schools and the wider public from today. The public can download and donate here. For those that want to get involved in the fun, they can submit videos of their own performances to @Premierinn using the hashtag #PremierInnSignoftheSeason in the hopes of creating the UK biggest Christmas carol music video.
Further research showed festive music is key to Brits’ enjoyment of the season, with nearly a third saying that connecting with others with Christmas carols is the thing that they missed most last Christmas. This statistic highlights how important it is to ensure communities who are unable to experience the traditional carols are given the opportunity to do so as people begin to reconnect this season.
Inspirational talent from across the UK came together to create and perform the carol:from celebrity choreographer Sean Moon, who is currently working closely with Rose Ayling-Ellis on this year’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, children and young people who have been cared for at GOSH, recent Royal Variety performers Some Voices Choir, and the UK’s number-one sign-singer ‘Fletch’.
Premier Inn Managing Director Simon Ewins said: “We couldn’t be more delighted to team up with GOSH Charity for this extra-special Christmas carol. Research shows caroling was sorely missed last year so what better way to bring the sound of music back to life with a unique new song all can enjoy. We hope people across the UK will be inspired to give it a go and sing along with us all”.
Liz Tait, Director of Fundraising at GOSH Charity added: “We’ve worked in partnership with Premier Inn for ten years and their fantastic fundraising has helped us transform many of the facilities available to patients and families at Great Ormond Street Hospital, in particular for children with sight and hearing loss through the opening of GOSH’s Sight and Sound Centre supported by Premier Inn, earlier in 2021.
“It’s brilliant to see Premier Inn’s ongoing commitment to children and young people from GOSH through the creation of this upbeat festive medley, and through their support of our annual Christmas fundraising campaign. We hope the nation enjoys the Sign Of The Season!”
Signductor Fletch stressed the importance of inclusion of deaf and blind children in arts-programs. Stating: “‘Sign of the Season’ is designed to encourage more inclusion of deaf and blind children in arts-programmes, and ensures all Brits feel included in the magic of music this festive season. Music and the arts are incredibly important for a child’s development and performances like this give more the confidence to seek out opportunities to get involved…and others the confidence to provide them.”
As well as launching this inclusive Christmas carol to support GOSH Charity’s ‘One Step Closer to Home’ Christmas appeal, Premier Inns across the country will be supporting the GOSH Charity’s Stocking Appeal and encouraging team members to get involved. To find out more visit www.premierinn.com.
Great Ormond Street Hospital’s Sight and Sound Centre supported by Premier Inn opened earlier this year.
The brand-new facility, a first-of-its-kind, has transformed the experience and care of children and young people with sight and hearing loss from across the UK who travel to GOSH for treatment.
Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH Charity) pledged £25million towards the costs of the Centre, with employees, customers and suppliers from Premier Inn & Restaurants raising over £10million towards that target as part of its Force for Good sustainability programme.
About Sign of the Season
To watch the live performance, visit here:
To learn Sign Of The Season at home, visit here:
To donate to GOSH Charity Christmas appeal, visit here:
Or to book your next stay visit go to:
About Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity
To learn more about their Christmas campaign and watch their Christmas advert visit here: www.gosh.org/christmas
About Premier Inn
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Additional Stats
- Almost 40% of Brits are most looking forward to spending time with loved ones this Christmas in comparison to just 10% of Brits who are most looking forward to opening presents
- Silent Night is Brits favourite Christmas carol, with over a quarter of Brits voting for this, closely followed by Jingle Bells
- Over 40% of Brits love the sight, sound, smell and taste of Christmas when thinking about the festive season and 30% say it is the time of year when they are most grateful for what they have
Research Citations
Premier Inn research conducted in conjunction with Markettiers of 2,005 UK adults (November 2021).
