The Yorkshire town which is a shining example of not giving up and giving in - Christa Ackroyd

Don’t get me wrong there have been many blessings. Only this past couple of weeks I have been shown such kindness.

The family gathering was wonderful. But in the same week I received a totally unexpected surprise from an organisation which brings harmony, quite literally to our divided world.

What they represent is the very antithesis of the anger and division that has marred the last twelve months for many of us.

Barnsley Youth Choir has made more than one appearance in this column.

Set up to bring focus and community spirit among young people, it began as a way of returning a sense of pride to one of my favourite Yorkshire towns.

Barnsley was mining. When the pits closed it was the end of a way of life for generations. Bit by bit as every mine closed all they had known ended. And it was a glooming as the slag heaps left behind. What is more there was nothing they could do.

Money was short, purpose was lacking, and above all there was a sense that those down South didn’t know what they were going through and what’s more didn’t care. (You still can’t mention Margaret Thatcher’s name in the town).

But Yorkshire folk are resilient. What’s more they don’t get more Yorkshire or more resilient than those who call Barnsley home. Today the town is a shining example of not giving up and giving in. It’s market hall is thriving. It’s town centre is gleaming and bustling.

The arts, museums, theatre, music festivals and comedy clubs are alive and kicking. And Barnsley Youth Choir will next year represent not only the town but the whole of Great Britain in the World Choir Games.

And they will win. I know they will. Because they are the very epitome of all that is missing. Each and every member cares passionately about the choir, but above all they care about each other, and they care about where they came from, the town they call homes

Yes they can sing. Yes the team of conductors led by Matt Wright instill discipline and determination to give of their best to be the best, but what shines through is their pride.

And boy if they could bottle it I would hand it out on every street corner in the land for free.

When the choir started well over a decade ago those who applied had to be able to sing but that was just about it.

The choir was formed and yes it was good as their confidence grew from a small base of less than a hundred enthusiastic youngsters who wanted to put down their school books, put down their phones and tablets and do something different together. Now it is truly great.

Today it is the very beat of the town. More than 700 young people from the age of four attend more than a dozen choirs held in every corner of the district.

They start by singing for fun and end up, if they are lucky, and trust me they are very lucky, by singing the most complex pieces with such joy and compassion that they are now known the world over. And so is Barnsley.

And I would do anything for them. They know that. This year they are taking 250 members not just to perform in the famous Greyfriar’s Church on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile as part of the fringe festival but the fundraising has begun to take the senior choir to the World Games in Sweden.

And hopefully fingers crossed I will be with them, as I always am in spirit. They will do sponsored anything to get there and I know local people whose pride in the town has been raised because of them will rally round too.

Because dear readers this is a glimpse of what our future should look like. The choristers come from so many backgrounds. Some are deemed vulnerable, some have disabilities, some come from poverty, some from broken families. But together they sing as one.

They lift their voices united in a common aim. Differences are celebrated. They are as one voice. And they move mountains and move me and everyone else who hears them. They are the ultimate reset for the soul. They soar and they shine.

They can rise to raise the rafters in one tumultuous voice, but they also can sound as quiet as a whisper. And that is their power. A complete antidote to all the pointless destructive noise going on out there during the last 12 months. And therein lies my hope for 2026. A blueprint for a better year for all of us.

I went to the Barnsley Youth Choir Christmas concert. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. And that is when my tears turned into floods. In the middle of song Matt announced three honorary patrons for life. One of them was me.

This isn’t about ‘look what I have done.’ It is about simple gestures from those we love and admire meaning the world. It is not about overblown statements. It is not about showy displays of affection without meaning. Little things mean a lot. And so they are huge.

My Christmas day will be so, so different this year. I will be down under with my beautiful daughter and eldest grandchild (and son-in-law) in Sydney where unbeknown to her my youngest daughter will also be flying out for New Year.

So for me it’s a first. First time I have flown alone so far away. First time I have had Christmas day on a beach and there is no alternative as my daughter has had her kitchen pulled out). And the first time as a single person for many a year.

But guess what it is all leading to one thing. Change hopefully is coming. 2026 has to be better. For us all. And apart from the odd one or two, everyone I speak to feels the same.

But one thing doesn’t change. Whether we are shivering in the cold, or burning in the blistering heat, the message of Christmas is the same as Ebeneezer Scrooge was to find out.

It isn’t about what we have or where we see ourselves in the world, but who we share it with. And who seeks the goodness in others while remaining strong enough to withstand the storms of life. Because as I have always said, as we celebrate Christmas let us remember as I have there is more good than bad in the world.

And as Barnsley Youth Choir can testify that really is a reason to sing. And to sing as one voice and drown out those who would disagree.