THE CHEYNE GANG
'Sing to Breathe'
The Cheyne Gang is a community singing group for people living with long term respiratory conditions such as COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), Asthma, Bronchiectasis - in fact any respiratory condition that causes long term breathlessness.
If you are interested in discovering how singing can help please explore our site.
Find out more about The Cheyne Gang
Please consider making a donation to The Cheyne Gang so that we can continue supporting over 200 members.
All donations help us stay connected with our members and provide services that benefit their health and mental well being.
The Cheyne Gang is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO). Our SCIO number is SCO47259
CHSS Collaboration
Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland Launches New Collaboration with The Cheyne Gang Singing Groups
Bringing the joy of singing to people living with long-term breathing difficulties across Scotland
Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS) has today (1 July 2025 – World Bronchiectasis Day) announced a new collaboration with The Cheyne Gang, a charity dedicated to supporting people in Scotland living with long-term respiratory conditions through the power of singing.
The Cheyne Gang currently runs ‘Sing to Breathe’ singing groups in Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Scottish Borders, offering a lifeline to individuals with conditions such as COPD, asthma, and bronchiectasis - any condition that causes long-term breathlessness.
Through this new collaboration with CHSS, these uplifting and health-boosting singing sessions will be available to people across the country. The collaboration plans to develop new services including groups in the Highland and West Lothian with more areas to follow.
“Singing isn’t just fun—it’s good for breathing control and your general wellbeing,” explains Anne Ritchie, The Cheyne Gang Co-Founder. “Research shows that singing can help people to learn to control their breathlessness, breathe more efficiently and become more confident. It is also a bit of a workout – singing is a whole-body event, it can lower heart rate and improve mood. Importantly it also makes people feel more connected and supported.”
No singing experience is needed — people can come along and enjoy the music, the laughter, and the company.
Jane-Claire Judson, Chief Executive of Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, said: “Collaborating with The Cheyne Gang means that we can support even more people living with long-term respiratory conditions to take part in activities that benefit their physical and mental wellbeing. At CHSS we are committed to supporting as many people as possible living with chest, heart and stroke conditions and Long Covid to live life to the full.”
In Scotland, 1 in 5 people are living with chest, heart and stroke conditions or Long Covid, including 477,000 living with asthma or COPD and up to 18,000 living with bronchiectasis.
Singing group participant Kate Arnott said: “The Sing to Breathe group has proved to be a great place to come. I was diagnosed with bronchiectasis which I'd never heard of and all the more devastating because there's no cure. After coming to the group and singing my head off I feel so much better and have so much more energy and the company is just great. I feel so much better physically and mentally for having been in the company of all the wonderful singers. One of the changes is it's given me a point to look forward to every fortnight to come to the group. It's good to mix with a group of people we're all in the same boat and nobody judges how well or badly you sing - we're all here for the fun.”
This collaboration between CHSS and The Cheyne Gang marks a significant step forward in supporting people with long-term breathlessness in a way that’s joyful, inclusive, and rooted in community.
New Group
The Cheyne Gang are pleased to announce the opening of a new "Sing to Breathe" group which will be located in Broxburn.
This is an exciting development for The Cheyne Gang as it is the first singing group to be opened under our new collaboration with Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland (CHSS) which supports our ambitions of bringing the benefits of our "Sing to Breathe" groups to areas of Scotland with higher levels of COPD and breathing conditions.
The Broxburn "Sing to Breathe" group will meet every 2nd Wednesday between 11am and 1pm in the Strathbrock Partnership Centre, 189A West Mains Street, Broxburn, West Lothian EH52 5LH.
For further information on the Broxburn "Sing to Breathe" group including dates of meetings please contact Sarah Marshall on 07784 267894.
Pauline Waugh, 1969 - 2025

It's a very sad time for us at The Cheyne Gang. Our beautiful founder Pauline Waugh, who had been fighting cancer for more than a year, died peacefully and without pain on March 15th.
We will never see her like again and we will miss her always.
Cheyne Gang Member Spotlight
Get to know our members from our Edinburgh, Oxgangs group and hear about the benefits that singing for lung health can bring to your life.
What Does The Cheyne Gang Mean to You?
Hear what some of our Oxgangs group members have to say about The Cheyne Gang
click here to watch all of the videos
Singing For Lung Health Training Course
A training course to enable singing group leaders and music therapists to start and run their own singing for lung health groups.
We are now offering a unique opportunity for singing group leaders.
Come and train with The Cheyne Gang and learn to deliver singing workshops for people living with long term lung conditions.
To learn more please click the link below to register your interest for upcomming dates.
Where to find us...
There are 6 Cheyne Gang groups at present, in Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Borders with plans underway to start one in Highland area.
Our groups locations can be viewed on our information page
Alternatively please contact us for more information.
You can also take part in some of our breathing exercises and songs online.

Long Covid Support Scotland is the brainchild of the team behind The Cheyne Gang.
The website provides short, bite sized videos that inform and advise on the wide range of common symptoms experienced by people with Long Covid.
Having recruited interested professionals from disciplines including speech and language therapy, respiratory physiotherapy, and occupational therapy we created the Long Covid Support Scotland website resource which provides videos addressing the common symptoms and offering practical measures such as gentle exercises, singing and relaxation. The videos are designed to allow for pacing and choice.
The website, which was launched in January 2023 includes useful bite-sized videos, resources and practical advice for people who have long covid as well as their families.
How to manage post-viral fatigue after COVID-19
Practical advice for people who have recovered at home
An excellent resource published by Royal College of Occupational Therapists. Click the highlighted text to view the file.
OUR HEALTH projects create community-based research that invites local communities to set real-world research questions around health and well-being
Our Health is a student group from Edinburgh University that has been collaborating with The Cheyne Gang since January 2018.
Our Health now have their own page on our website to stay in touch with our members.
Visit their page to find out more.
The Cheyne Gang would like to acknowledge the organisations and individuals who provide both financial and moral support.
They can be viewed on our information page along with details about our team, our locations and more detailed information about The Cheyne Gang.