In pictures: Freedom of Mind choir entertain Falkirk Howgate shoppers

And as it was Valentine’s the message was everyone should "be kind and love yourself”.

The choir was just one of the attractions at the Braveheart Association’s first wellbeing event of 2024, which took place last Wednesday in the community hub within the Howgate Centre.

On offer throughout the day were many health and wellbeing stalls, advice and taster sessions including mindfulness sessions, hand massages, fun activities such as Paracise and Cycling Without Age trishaw displays, as well as pamper product giveaways, and of course the choir’s sing-a-long.

Braveheart Living Well coordinator, Munira Farara, said: “Bringing people together for a day of feel-good activities and connecting them with support services working in the area is a good way to help them to have a healthier mindset, improved self-worth, reduced feelings of isolation and go home ready to live a more fulfilled life.”

Kim Edgar of Freedom of Mind Choir and its members were also hoping that people would support them in a bid for funding through the Community Choices grants.

She said: ““Choir members were keen to do more song-writing, but that’s not practical within our existing weekly choir sessions, so we applied for Community Choices funding in order to offer this to choir members and other local people outside of choir hours.

"If we win the public vote, we will support 36 people with experience of mental illness, isolation, loneliness or grief to take part in song-writing workshops and then share their stories in song in a way that helps them to express themselves creatively and which moves, inspires and generates hope in listeners. We’d be most grateful for support from local people in Falkirk North.”

People can vote here before February 23 when voting closes.