A team of people has signed up to run the Wigan 10k to support local charity DanceSyndrome.
DanceSyndrome is a multi-award winning dance charity, based in Lancashire, that delivers inclusive dance workshops and dance leadership training as well as inspiring performances that demonstrate a focus on ability rather than disability. The charity was founded by dancer Jen Blackwell, who happens to have Down’s syndrome, because she found it difficult to find opportunities in community dance due to her disability. DanceSyndrome’s ethos is that disability should never be a barrier to following your dreams.
Jen now runs a regular workshop at the Rose Club in Hindley on Wednesday mornings which is really popular with local residents. The workshop was initially set up with help from local businessman Colin Mather, who owns Harmony Blinds, a local company who have manufactured and supplied window blinds for over two decades. Colin, aged 63 from Wigan, has been supporting DanceSyndrome for the last 5 years and has done lots of work to help with fundraising, including running a half marathon at the Run Wigan Festival and the Great Manchester 10k, both in May 2017. Colin is now set to run the Wigan 10k on 3rd September, alongside Jen Blackwell’s parents Sue and Malcolm Blackwell and her cousin Helen Ray-Jones.
In 2017, DanceSyndrome hope to raise £25,000 to cover the costs of taking their team of dancers to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. They are currently at 65% of their target so the team of runners hopes to push the total closer to the target before the campaign closes at the end of September.
DanceSyndrome Managing Director Dawn Vickers said: “We are incredibly grateful for the support of our amazing fundraisers! DanceSyndrome is a small, local charity and so all fundraising efforts have a significant impact for us. It is really important to us this year that we give our dancers an opportunity to become more visible, to show the world that dancers with and without disabilities can work together to create beautiful, inspiring art. The funds raised have allowed us to do that and showcase DanceSyndrome on an international level at the Edinburgh Fringe!”
If you would like to support the team, you can donate online via Just Giving, searching for “DanceSyndrome” or at the following link https://www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/dance-syndrome/fundraisingappeal2017
If you would like to join the team and help to raise money, please email admin@dancesyndrome.co.uk before 28th August 2017.
Thanks for your continued support!
Top image: Jen Blackwell (centre) with the team of runners at Great Manchester 10k.
Other image: Colin Mather with Jen Blackwell at the Rose Club.
