A CHILDREN'S ECO CHOIR from Surey had the experience of a lifetime after being chosen from over 4,000 applicants to perform at the UN climate conference COP26 last month.

We Are The Voice an environmental choir made up of 14 children from the county and including some singers from Kingston borough, performed on the Green Zone stage at the Glasgow event on 5 and 6 November.

The group, led by musical director Aleisha Shimizu, sang protest songs with a climate theme to a crowd of celebrities, delegates and key climate politicians.

Fans included Dragon's Den businesswoman Deborah Meaden who tweeted a video of the choir performing with the comment "getting a lump in my throat."

The choir also caught the eye of COP26 president Alok Sharma, who stopped to listen to them perform and came back afterwards to meet and take a photo with the children.

We Are The Voice founder Niamh Clune told Kingston Nub News that the performance "couldn't have gone better."

"We had a really good crowd and made a great big impact," she said.

"We made people cry, people were joining in and singing along.

"We were filmed live on Italian TV, we were interviewed by Channel 4, we were on BBC radio - it was fantastic.

"The children were so excited, they sang all the way on the coach from Edinburgh to Glasgow."

Asked why she started the choir, the long-term environmental campaigner said she wanted to do something with the children "to win hearts and minds."

"As a grandmother I don't want my children to inherit an uninhabitable planet," she said.

"This is what I want to do for the rest of my life - to raise hope because I have seen a lot of children suffering eco anxiety.

"Singing brings us together, it empowers us."

Niamh, who lives in East Molesey, is the author of several children's books and holds a PhD from the University of Surrey.

She is also a songwriter and in 2002 wrote the lyrics and tune to her song 'We Are The Voice', performing it live with her daughter at that year's Earth Summit in South Africa - she says the song is "still relevant today."

Niamh also tribute to the "amazing support" played by the volunteers behind the scenes in making the choir happen.

We Are The Voice are looking to expand and anyone aged between eight and sixteen can join.

"Everyone gets an opportunity and we're keen to develop the childrens' talents as much as we can," Niamh said.

She stressed that members of the choir get the opportunity to work on their diction, breathing and stage performance by being in the group.

Find out more about Niamh and We Are The Voice on the group's website HERE

See a Facebook Live video of the choir performing in Kingston marketplace on the Kingston Nub News Facebook page