St Neots Care Home Resident Goes Backstage To Meet Her Favourite Band From Britain’s Got Talent

Henbrook House care home in St Neots, recently helped make a resident’s dream come true after taking Joyce (83-years-old) to see her favourite band, Collabro, perform live at Ely Cathedral. Events Manager Brian Moore even secured the ‘red carpet’ treatment for Joyce, who was invited backstage after the show to meet the band herself.

Collabro are a UK-based musical theatre group who rose to fame after winning the eighth series of Britain’s Got Talent in 2014. Joyce has been a devoted fan ever since. After tragically losing her best friend in 2022, Joyce found genuine comfort in Collabro’s music, especially their powerful recreations of musical theatre classics which she remembers listening to as a young woman.

Watching their performances on YouTube helped lift her spirits during the grieving process, and she soon became one of the group’s many loyal fans – known affectionately as “Collaborators”.

Brian Moore, Events Manager at Henbrook House said: “We believe music plays a vital role in exceptional later-life care, often helping people reconnect with memories and emotions from years gone by. When we saw how much Collabro’s music meant to Joyce, the team was determined to do everything we could to help her see them perform live. It was incredibly special to watch Joyce meet the band and experience their performance after everything she had been through.”

Joyce had originally planned to see the band in 2024, after securing tickets to their 10th Anniversary Reunion Concert at Birmingham Symphony Hall. However, shortly before the concert she suffered a setback when she broke her hip, meaning she was unable to attend and had to pass her tickets on to another fan.

Determined not to let Joyce’s dream slip away, Henbrook House’s Events Manager Brian Moore reached out to Jamie Lambert, lead singer of Collabro, to share her story. To his delight, the band was so moved by Joyce’s passion that they invited her as a special guest to their show at Ely Cathedral, complete with a meet-and-greet alongside her daughter, Kirsty Hazell.

Michael Zinaka, General Manager at Henbrook House, shares his thoughts: “From the beginning, our vision for Henbrook House has been to create more than just a care home – we want it to feel like a true home where residents’ interests and passions are celebrated. Experiences like this, where we can honour a resident’s dreams and create lasting memories with their loved ones, are exactly what we had in mind. I am incredibly proud of the team for going the extra mile to make this happen for Joyce.”