A national organisation supporting mental health charities has chosen to boost the fundraising efforts of DanceSyndrome as we plan for our future in the changing post-pandemic world.
MAKEITBLUE CIC is a non-profit company dedicated to raising funds for mental health charities. Formed by a group of live events professionals, they work on arts, entertainment and cultural projects to raise funds and awareness of mental health issues. Last year, they launched the #LightItBlue campaign to thank NHS staff and healthcare workers fighting Covid. They also ran a charity art auction in aid of events industry professionals suffering from Covid-related mental health problems. Our DS Collective also created the video below as part of their Dance It Blue campaign in May 2020.
In order to survive through such challenging times, we are running an ambitious fundraising campaign to support our work as we move back into the community after so long delivering online. MAKEITBLUE have donated £500 to kick-start this campaign, which has a target of £10,000. The campaign is called “We Like to Move It, Move It” and encourages people to use any form of movement activity to improve their own mental health and fundraise at the same time.
DanceSyndrome supports many vulnerable adults across Lancashire, many of whom have been shielding during the pandemic. Our team adapted quickly in the early stages of the pandemic to offer online dance sessions via Zoom and YouTube. We wanted to limit the impact of isolation on participants and continue to make them feel a part of our “the dancing family”. We took our pre-lockdown workshops online to bring the sessions to regular participants and anyone else who wanted to use them to stay active at home during isolation. The sessions have been a real success, attracting new participants from across the UK, and even as far as Europe, South Africa and the USA! There are now 15 online sessions a week and these will continue as face to face dancing returns.
DanceSyndrome Managing Director Dawn Vickers said “We’re incredibly grateful to MAKEITBLUE for supporting our fundraising efforts this year, which has been one of the most challenging years in our 12 year history. It is always a privilege to collaborate with like-minded organisations who are working to achieve the same goals. Dance and positive mental health are so closely linked and we’re grateful to be given the opportunity to work with them to share that important message.”
Fabulous fundraising ideas so far have included a daily boxing target of 1000 punches by DanceSyndrome Dance Leader and Ambassador Becky Rich, a non-stop sailing campaign around the UK by Founders Sue and Malcolm Blackwell and a charity fundraising walk by DanceSyndrome Star Supporter Christopher Reid, who is walking in memory of his dad, who loved to dance.
For more information about DanceSyndrome’s fundraising campaign please visit https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/MoveitMoveit or you can donate directly using the form below:
