Welsh choir and Britain’s Got Talent finalists at risk of folding

A Welsh choir that reached the Britain’s Got Talent finals is facing an uncertain future. Only Boys Aloud (OBA) needs to find £150,000 to save both the chor and the charity that runs it.

Since launching in 2010, the choir has offered “safe spaces” for more than 6,500 boys. In 2015 it expanded to cover North Wales, with rehearsals in Holyhead, Caernarfon, Rhyl and Wrexham. It claims to be the only choir in the country to offer “free provision”.

There are no auditions and each week more than 150 boys attend 11 choirs across Wales. Since 2022, a female equivalent, Only Girls Aloud, has also been running.

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Former members include Callum Scott Howells, who appeared in It’s a Sin, and Tom Hier, who’s had leading roles in West End productions such as Miss Saigon, Joseph and Footloose. Tom, an OBA founding member, said: “For me, Only Boys Aloud is so much more than a choir.

“A brotherhood, it offered friendship, purpose and opportunities that changed my life. Honestly, I don’t think I’d be doing what I do today if it wasn’t for the confidence and skills I gained in Only Boys Aloud.

“Despite the choir’s incredible success, today we find ourselves needing your help. Like so many of you, rising costs mean we’re struggling financially. I don’t think people understand Only Boys Aloud is run as a charity. Every rehearsal, every concert, every trip costs nothing - which for the boys involved is incredible.”

Managing the North Wales operation is professional harpist Alys Bailey-Wood, a music graduate from Bangor University who also works as a peripatetic teacher in Flintshire. As well as developing the confidence and self-esteem of young men, the charity aims to “keep Welsh traditions alive” and support the Welsh language through song. Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone

Carys Wynne-Morgan, OBA’s chief executive officer, is now calling on people to support the cause. She said that, like so many other arts charities, the choir was struggling as funding dwindles and costs rise. Backing her up was one of OBA’s community leaders, Pat Ashman, who said it would be “heartbreaking” If the choir was to fold.

Carys said: “We’ve had to make the heartbreaking decision to pause all our regular free activity for young people of secondary school age and reduce our dedicated team to half its size. In this pause, we are determined to regroup, refocus and remodel Aloud for long-term sustainability. But we can’t do it alone.”

Current OBA member, Morgan, from Chepstow, said the choir had opened doors and created so many opportunities. Having joined Only Kids Aloud at the age of nine, he’s since sung at the King’s Coronation Concert and performed in the chorus at Bryn Terfel’s 50th birthday concert.

Now also a member of the National Youth Choir of Wales, having toured Dubai with the Welsh National Orchestra, he said a highlight of his time with OBA was an “amazing” residential week in North Wales. Morgan said: “Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without OBA. My life would be so boring.

“There’s been music sung in this country for centuries. We can’t let it die. We need to ensure it remains.” Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox

• To restart any activity in the autumn, OBA needs money in the bank. For more information, and to donate, go to the choir’s JustGiving page.