Page 7 - Real Rochdale Issue 09 Winter 2020

Britain’s Got Talent After learning ‘This Is Me’ from The Greatest “Seeing your passion was just

Showman – the group’s unofficial motto – they
Young stars finish second decided to audition for the TV talent show. so moving. You are all just a

sign of joy and hope. The first
The group teamed up with the Rochdale Music
Service Youth Choir and in their first appearance time we saw you, we fell in
on the show were rewarded by David Walliams’
choosing them as his golden buzzer act, putting love with you.” – Alesha Dixon,
them straight through to the semi-finals.
judge on Britain’s Got Talent

Their performance received standing ovations
from the judges and the group were chosen to
make it though to the final by the public after Further inspired by her love for her little brother,
their performance in their semi-final. Jade also wants to use their platform to create
a fully-inclusive holiday home for children like
Due to coronavirus restrictions, the full group Christian. She estimates that getting started will
of 70 weren’t on stage for the final – but Jade, cost around £50,000 before maintenance costs
Christian and some of the group performed on – and they are already 10% of the way there.
stage, joined by the rest of their signing family
via a big screen. “My dream is for there to be a few, but we’d like
the initial one to be somewhere like Blackpool or
Wearing matching white and gold ‘Sign Along North Wales – not too far away, accessible and
With Us’ tracksuits, the group performed with plenty of things to do.”
country pop power ballad ‘The Climb’, originally
recorded by Miley Cyrus for the 2009 film Jade concluded: “Coming second in a show like
Hannah Montana: The Movie. Britain’s Got Talent shows that every member of

Dymond/Thames/Syco/Shutterstock our group can be who they want to be, stand tall
Jade hopes to keep the group doing what they and say ‘this is me.’
Sign language champions ‘Sign Along With Us’ are well-deserved do best and keep spreading the important “This wasn’t shown, but I actually got really
message of inclusion.
local winners with their message of inclusivity, after finishing in emotional on stage. I love my group so much and

second place in this year’s final of Britain’s Got Talent. She said: “Appearing on Britain’s Got Talent was they have put endless amounts of effort into this.
so exciting! I definitely had three favourite They all deserve this so much and I’m so
moments, which were being awarded the golden incredibly proud of them all.
One of the ten final acts, Heywood siblings Miraculously, the brave little boy, who has buzzer, placing second and then back at the hotel
Jade and Christian Kilduff who started the also been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and after the final. The whole group was there “Our story is so moving and the feeling I felt
group in 2019, were joined on the final stage registered severely sight impaired, has proved celebrating, singing and signing ‘This Is Me’.” after our performance was something that will
by other local children and adults, backed by critics wrong – going on to achieve milestones be with me for the rest of my life. Christian is a
the Rochdale Music Service Youth Choir. his family were told he wouldn’t do. Jade asks Christian his favourite moment before little miracle and is showing the world sign after

telling us that he responded by signing ‘This sign how amazing he is.
Determined to improve the lives of those with After sharing their videos, Jade then began Is Me’ – but it’s clear the little boy enjoyed the
disabilities, Jade started ‘Sign Along With Us’ in offering free signing classes for all, quickly whole experience – as seen by his grin on stage – “This is how much Sign Along With Us truly
January 2019, originally a daily sign-of-the-day being joined by many people keen to learn sign with Jade telling us he keeps saying ‘got talent!’ means to us all.”
video page, teaching Makaton which she uses language. Used alongside speech, Makaton is
to communicate with her little brother, five. based on British Sign Language and is signed in
English grammatical word order.
Christian has already overcome many
obstacles in his short life: stillborn at birth Over 100,000 children and adults use
before taking his first breath at 24 minutes old, Makaton symbols and signs, either as their
he was left with a brain injury from the lack of main method of communication, or as a way to
oxygen. Placed on a ventilator to try and save support speech.
his life, Christian was given a less than 1%
chance of coming out of the coma.

REAL ROCHDALE - WINTER 2020 6