Ahead of World Parkinson’s Day on Friday, 11 April, New Quay man Glyn Griffiths has spoken of the changes to his life since diagnosis.

Glyn’s Parkinson's developed very slowly but it was difficult to pinpoint when as he also had a spinal condition pre-dating the Parkinson’s. His main symptoms were stiffness, a slight tremor, general slowness and losing his sense of smell.

When he was diagnosed in March 2023, he was relieved to know what was wrong, but life changed significantly. He’s now limited to a few hundred yards of walking with the aid of a stick or rollator. His worsening mobility makes him feel like he’s getting in people's way by being so slow. He relies on his wife Gill, who is his carer, for a number of things.

Previously very active, Glyn formed a local walking club with his wife and others, organising walks of 10 miles or more in Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire, and even weekends away to tackle Yr Wyddfa, Cader Idris and Penyfan. He also enjoyed active sports but later this was confined to badminton.

Parkinson's, a complex brain condition that gets worse over time, is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, affecting 153,000 people in the UK and around 8,300 in Wales. It has more than 40 symptoms, from tremor and pain to anxiety, and there is currently no cure.

Glyn and Gill, alongside many other attendees of Ceredigion Parkinson’s support groups, recently joined the ParkinSings choir, a pilot project between Parkinson's UK Cymru and social enterprise Choirs For Good, which gives those with Parkinson’s and their carers an opportunity to experience the therapeutic benefits of community singing, with potential improvements in voice control, breathing and overall mental and emotional wellbeing.

Glyn, Gill and the rest of the choir performed at the Senedd, Cardiff Bay earlier this month to help raise awareness of Parkinson’s and showcase the benefits of community singing and arts-based initiatives for people living with the condition.

Glyn said: “Social interactions are very helpful in keeping spirits up and the choir rehearsals have been really enjoyable. My previous singing experience has been confined to our local church group so I jumped at the chance to join the project to mark World Parkinson’s Day in 2025. It’s helping a lot. Singing is very relaxing, the group is very friendly and we have a lot of laughs.

“It’s been very good to be involved with Parkinson's UK Cymru and the local support group. I can discuss my problems with others with the condition and learn from them. It’s sociable and I always look forward to the monthly meeting. It’s comforting to know I’m not alone.

“My advice to others would be to get involved. It is a great antidote to isolation. My hopes for the future are to do things which keep further development of the condition at bay for as long as possible.”

For more information about Parkinson’s UK Cymru Choirs For Good visit www.parkinsons.org.uk/about-us/parkinsons-uk-cymru and www.choirsforgood.com