About

I feel incredibly lucky to be the Wellbeing Producer at Pavilion Dance South West and to help create and support programmes that show just how powerful dance can be. This October, I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and taking on the Supernova 10K in Bournemouth to raise money for two of our wellbeing programmes: Parkinson’s Dance and Groove to Improve. These programmes are about so much more than dance. For more than 14 years, our Parkinson’s Dance programme has brought people living with Parkinson’s, alongside their loved ones, together every Friday afternoon. Through movement, creativity, music and laughter, people have the opportunity to build confidence, stay active and, perhaps most importantly, feel connected. One participant described it as: "The best Friday afternoons – always different, always fun and a feeling of relaxation as well as hard work of course. Laughter and happy times." We also run Groove to Improve, supporting people living with persistent lower back pain. It’s a gentle, creative dance programme that helps people move with greater confidence, develop sustainable movement habits and reconnect with what their bodies can do. As one participant told us: "I can see a big difference in how I feel and move throughout my whole body." Working in wellbeing, I get to see the difference these programmes can make. A class might look like a group of people dancing together, but underneath that are moments of confidence, friendship, laughter, determination and connection. For some people, it can help them feel that movement is something they can enjoy again. As a charity, we rely on the generosity of our community to keep this work going. Funding helps us subsidise these programmes and make them more accessible to the people who need them. So, this October, I’ll be running 10K through Bournemouth; hopefully with plenty of enthusiasm, even if my legs don't feel quite so enthusiastic by the end! 😅 If you can spare anything to support my challenge, your donation will help put dance where it can make a real difference. Whether it helps someone living with Parkinson’s keep dancing, supports someone with persistent pain to rediscover confidence in movement, or helps create the next opportunity for someone to feel active, connected and part of a community, every donation really does count. Thank you so much for supporting me and Pavilion Dance South West 💜 Let’s keep people moving.