Thanks to a chance conversation I had with a friend who was a warden at a Blyth care home, I'm trying to find out as much as I can about the role folk/traditional music has/had in Day Centres, Care Homes, and/or the 'community'.
I recall one technique of the late Dave Williams in the New Forest was to engage conversation by taking a penknife and stick and whittling down the wood, whilst talking.
The Millen Family from the Weald of Kent, also did 15 years around the National Farmers' Union/Young Farmers functions as 'The Cider Sippers' before I became aware of them. I'm sure the late Paul Matrsh also tole me about something like that in Hampshire. Then there's Kelly's Quarry Blasters from Dartmoor - about which I need to make further enquiries.
The song under discussion was 'Herring's Heid' (The Herring is the King of the Sea) which was sung by a group called either The Coastguards or The Watchers (perhaps both!). They were active on the North-east coast in Tyneside and Northumberland care homes and community centres, and work exploring that is in progress.

Can any other 'catter tell me of other people/groups active in this field? I feel this is an unexplored area of traditional song research which may bear fruit - unless we leave it too late!