Environmental Sustainability: DanceSyndrome’s Commitment
Environmental sustainability has never been more important and as a charity with a strong focus on equity, inclusion and social justice, we feel that we need to consider the environmental impact of our work.
Environmental sustainability is a serious issue that impacts on local communities and because climate change directly impacts on the poorest people in the world then it is a social justice issue as well as an environmental one, so it is important for us to make the right environmental choices in the delivery of our work.
Environmental sustainability is a journey that all ethical businesses should be embarking on and we want to outline what we think that journey might look like for our organisation. As we start that journey, we want to outline some of the commitments that we will be making over the coming months and years.
Our first steps have been to make a declaration in partnership with Culture Declares Emergency and to develop a list of pledges which we will work towards achieving.
Culture Declares Emergency:
Culture Declares is a growing international movement of individuals and organisations in the cultural sector declaring climate and ecological emergency. This means telling the truth, taking action and seeking justice on climate focussed issues. The aim is to grow, support and mobilise a movement of declarers in the UK cultural sector and inspire and work with others internationally.
Members of the movement believe that climate science needs to be acted on urgently and there needs to be far-reaching systemic change if we are to turn from the path we are on, with Earth’s life-supporting systems at risk.
DanceSyndrome is joining the declaration to shout about our environmental actions, impact & responsibilities, and to influence our stakeholders to do the same. You can read our declaration on the Culture Declares website.
Our Environmental Sustainability Pledges:
As part of our environmental sustainability planning we have come up with some pledges that we hope to work towards to ensure that sustainability is something that we genuinely work towards achieving, rather than being a token gesture. The specific applications of these pledges can be found in our Sustainability Policy.
1. We will onboard our team, trustees, service users & partners with our ‘live’ Sustainability Policy which will be implemented & embedded across everything we do.
2. We will identify relevant training & support to up-skill our team, trustees & service users to understand our environmental impact across all areas of our work.
3. We will work with expert partners who specialise in sustainable fashion & sourcing ethical, recycled and upcycled products to understand the environmental impact of our merchandise, costumes & props.
4. We will work to make our print marketing activities more sustainable by working with carbon neutral suppliers with strong sustainability policies of their own.
5. We will work in partnership with the community centres in which we operate to agree joint ‘environmental & sustainable’ principles of working to achieve our ambitions.
6. We will schedule regular reviews of our practices & continuously improve on our environmental impact using measurable targets and objectives.
7. We will continuously ‘live’ our Sustainability Policy & embed it’s principles throughout everything we do.
8. We will publicly declare our pledges & ambitions through the ‘Culture Declares Emergency’ global movement .
9. We will develop & devise a data collection tool to monitor our carbon footprint across all our activities.
10. We will research climate justice and sustainability certification & utilise available tools where there are gaps within our organisation.
As we said earlier, this is just the starting point for us and we know that this will be a constantly changing commitment, so we welcome constructive feedback from our stakeholders on how we can improve and evolve this plan. Contact us at info@dancesyndrome.co.uk to share your thoughts!
Easter Break
Our sessions will close for our Easter break from Sunday 10th April. We will be reopening with the Clitheroe session on Saturday 23rd April.
The DanceSyndrome Team would like to wish all of our participants and supporters a very happy Easter!
If you have some time on your hands while we have this short break, why not have a think about some of our EGG-cellent Easter fundraising ideas? You could even be in with the chance of being our Fundraiser of the Month in April!
April dance sessions
When we return after Easter we are moving to a more structured approach and will be operating a new term time programme with some minor changes from the current programme.
The Summer Term will run from Saturday 23rd April to Sunday 31st July. This will be a 14 week term. We will close on Bank Holidays and for the full Jubilee weekend from Thursday 2nd June to Sunday 5th June.
To get the best experience from the dance sessions, we encourage participants to commit to attending for the full term wherever possible. When booking online you will have the choice to book all the way through to July if you choose to, but we understand that people may need to be flexible and so weekly or monthly payment is still an option.
The great news is that our Zoom technique classes – Street Dance, Rave with Bex and Dave and Musical Jazz – are no longer running as 6 weekly courses, so you can join us mid-term if the sessions have already started.
Our Contemporary Dance technique session will be returning to Preston as an in-person session on Wednesdays at 1pm.
And don’t forget that this term we also have our new in-person Everybody Dance session in Chorley with Jen and Donna at St Georges Church Hall at 1 -2pm every Tuesday.
This is the full programme of activities which will run from Saturday 23rd April to Sunday 31st July.
Online booking is available for all sessions on our website.
Zoom session fees
The final change this term is that there will be a slight increase in the session fees for our Zoom sessions. Sessions will now cost £4.50 per person.
These sessions have previously been funded by different grants supporting economic recovery after Covid-19 lockdowns, but as these funding opportunities come to an end we need to increase our fees to cover the cost of delivering the sessions.
We’re grateful for your understanding and support.
World Down’s Syndrome Day and Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week are always celebrated enthusiastically by all at DanceSyndrome as we see on a daily basis how important inclusion is and how much people with Down’s syndrome can contribute to society when given a chance. Now this wonderful celebration is over for another year, DanceSyndrome Chairperson Sue Blackwell has written a blog reflecting on the success of the week. Sue is also our Founder Jen’s mum so, as a parent of a person with Down’s syndrome, she has a lot to add to the conversation around inclusion. Here are Sue’s thoughts…
At the end of Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week 2022
https://twitter.com/BBCNWT/status/1507771922968420364
When the everyday is extraordinary, it’s all too easy to forget…
• Where we’ve come from
• The numerous challenges we’ve faced over 40 years
• The enormity of the opportunity that is DanceSyndrome for dancers, society, people with and without learning disabilities, everyone interested in health and wellbeing, a fair and equitable society.
Witnessing people with Down’s syndrome empowered through dance is illuminating. Their talents, enthusiasm, happiness and joy can light up a space whether large or small. People like me, with no discernible disability but 2 left feet, are encouraged and inspired to join in, to discover wellness through movement. However reticent, however intimidated, inept or incapable we feel, leaders with Down’s syndrome can conquer our inhibitions and persuade us to ‘give it a go’.
It all began with the birth of Jen 40 years ago. She was met with gloom and doom from the medics. As a family we were traumatised by the many negative experiences in those early years, but ever determined to make the best of it that we could, we chose our own path through life based initially on personal research, and over the years, more often on gut instincts and empirical evidence. Jen’s passage through mainstream education wasn’t always plain sailing but with support and encouragement she left at 18 with big aspirations – to be a leader, to share her love of dance, to get the world dancing.
But how? Where was the training appropriate for her? For 10 years we searched together to find places, people, courses, opportunities to meet her needs.
Born out of frustration we set up DanceSyndrome, a space and place where Jen was in control. And something extraordinary happened. We discovered lots more people like Jen, some had Down’s syndrome, others had other learning disabilities, but all were focused on careers and lives in dance – performing, choreographing, leading, inspiring, working inclusively and professionally alongside dancers without disabilities as equals. This is where the magic lies.
When people are listened to, taken seriously, valued, they develop their own identity. They are empowered, they glow ever more brightly from within becoming more confident, more self-assured more assertive. They become their own person. This is true of everyone but so rarely seen in people with Down’s syndrome. But once witnessed you cannot ignore, you cannot turn your back as you watch the power of dance impact lives all too often disregarded, put out of sight and out of mind, confined to the dump, marginalised, ignored and conveniently forgotten.
Through the vehicle of dance people with Down’s syndrome can leave the rest of us standing, feeling wanting, lacking, humbled, as we watch these invisible giants inspire, hold their heads up high, walk tall, lead from the front, be held in high regard as leaders in their field, win numerous prestigious awards and accolades, achieve ever dizzier heights.
This is DanceSyndrome. This is the world I choose to inhabit, a world where every person matters.
If you too aspire to a more civil society, let me lead you to DanceSyndrome where greater happiness, health and wellbeing are afforded to all through mutual respect, philanthropy and effort.
This is DanceSyndrome. This is the world I choose to inhabit. This can be your world too.
If you’re inspired by Sue’s thoughts, and our work during Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week, and would like to support our work, we are always looking for volunteer fundraisers to support our work. You can contact our team on info@dancesyndrome.co.uk to talk about how to get started. If you would prefer to support us with a donation, you can use the form below to donate directly to our work.
As Easter approaches, our sessions will be taking break for two weeks. Why not use the extra time you have on your hands to do some Easter fundraising?
Spring is a great time to get out into your community and talk to people about your favourite charity. The sun is (hopefully!) shining, the daffodils are blooming and people are starting to do a bit of spring cleaning. Here are some fun Easter fundraising ideas that are perfect to do in the spring and maybe you could even win yourself the Fundraiser of the Month trophy for April in the process!
Car boot sale
If you’re having a bit of a spring clean, why not turn your trash into cash? Selling your unwanted items is great for the environment and sustainability and can also generate surprising amounts of money for charity. Why not have a donations tub on your table too?
Thrift+
If you’re short on time with all that spring cleaning, there is an easier way to make money for chairty from your unwanted items. Thrift+ accept donations of secondhand clothes via their Thriftbag scheme or you can become a reseller and sell clothes online with donations going to support our work. Find out more on their website.
Help others with their spring cleaning
Maybe you know some people who would donate to charity in return for your help with spring cleaning their home or garden?
Easter Egg Hunt
If you’re good at organising events, why not organise an Easter Egg hunt and ask people to give a donation to our charity to join in?
Easter Egg raffle
Everyone loves a good Easter Egg raffle! Find an impressive looking Easter Egg and sell raffle tickets to raise money. You could ask your local supermarket if they would donate the egg to help you raise even more!
Guess the name of the bunny
There are lots of fundraising scratchcards available to buy online which offer a small cash prize to the person who guesses the correct name.
Get outdoors!
Make the most of the days getting warmer and longer and get out and do some outdoor activities! Why not do a sponsored walk or outdoor challenge and ask people to sponsor you?
Plant sale
Why not take advantage of the better weather and plant some seeds which can then be sold as plants in a couple of months at your own fundraising plant sale?
If you have another fabulous Easter fundraising idea, why not get in touch with us via info@dancesyndrome.co.uk and we will do our best to support your fundraising.
To find out more about our Fundraiser of the Month scheme, please visit this news page.
If you would like to know more about how your donation supports our work, please take a look at our Case For Support which gives more information about the impact that your fundraising can have.
If you would like to make a donation, you can use the form below, or visit the Fundraising page for more information.
Members of the DanceSyndrome team were thrilled to be featured in a brilliant 6-page feature in the April 2022 edition of The Lancashire Magazine to celebrate both World Down’s Syndrome Day and International Women’s Day.
The Lancashire Magazine article includes interviews with our Founder Jen Blackwell and Dance Leaders Ellie, Dorothy and Jodie, who all talk about how inclusion is vital to the work we do – which is the theme for Down’s Syndrome Awareness Week this week.
If you would like to join in the conversation around why inclusion is so important, please join us on our social media this week. You can find us on:
You can read the full Lancashire Magazine article here.
If you’re inspired by the work of our amazing Dance Leaders, please consider supporting our work with a donation via the form below, or find out more about fundraising for us:
DanceSyndrome welcomes everyone and we enable every single participant’s voice to be heard and all ideas to be shared! We operate an inclusive co-produced and co-led model with people with learning disabilities and we empower everyone we work with to be included, to be visible and to have fun.
No other organisation is working in this inclusive way, and we have won many awards and accolades to recognise this.
DanceSyndrome is a small charity which makes a big impact. A major funding grant has helped us to achieve so much in such a short time, but this has now ended, and we are reliant on donations and sponsorship to meet the ever-growing demand for our services.
We need your support at a time when the need to engage individuals with learning disabilities is greater than ever.
You can read our Case for Support to find out more details about why our work is so vital.
Dancers from DanceSyndrome are excited to be reopening the regular face to face inclusive dance session in Chorley, after closing two years ago because of the pandemic.
The Chorley session, at St George’s Church Hall on Halliwell Street, will restart on Tuesday 8th March at 1pm with a special free session to celebrate International Women’s Day. The session is open to everybody, regardless of age, ability or gender and will be co-led by two of DanceSyndrome’s inspirational female leaders, Jen Blackwell and Donna Wheeldon.
Donna is a Dance Artist with DanceSyndrome but also works as Jen’s lead carer. She recalls how meeting Jen and working with her has changed her life.
“I was practising a routine in my dance studio when a very quiet, shy but poised looking young lady walked through the door with her mum. Little did I know that this beautiful lady would change my life forever. That was back in 2011 and 11 years down the line, how life has changed! I’m now Jen’s lead carer, though I’d rather call it best buddy, as well as Dance Artist for DanceSyndrome and I’ve been privileged to perform across the country, including at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival twice, with the most amazing bunch of dancers whom I now call my dancing family.”
Jen Blackwell, from Chorley, is becoming increasingly recognised as a local entrepreneur and her list of achievements grows year on year. She was included for three consecutive years (2018-2020) in the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100, a list of influential leaders within the disability sector in the UK, as well as received a Points of Light Award from the Prime Minister in 2018 in recognition of her work in the community and was also recognised by The Independent in their 2019 Lucozade Movers List of influential people in sport. Most recently, Jen won the Inclusion Award at the National Activity Providers Association (NAPA) Awards in 2021 and was included on F: Entrepreneur list of top 100 female entrepreneurs for 2022. DanceSyndrome as a charity has been awarded many charity and dance industry awards, including the Queens Award for Voluntary Services, which is the voluntary group equivalent of an MBE.
Talking about her achievements, Jen said “Dancing is my life, I am passionate about dance and about supporting people like me to have opportunities in the dance world. Winning these awards shows that people with learning disabilities can do amazing things with their lives if given a chance.”
Donna is full of admiration. “As both her lead carer and her dance instructor I recognise the irony that every lesson I take with her turns out to be a lesson for myself. Not only through dance but also from my greater appreciation of disability inclusion issues. Being part of Jen’s life and DanceSyndrome has shown me how to achieve the very best, not just through technique but from the passion within.
Talking about the Chorley session re-opening, Jen said “‘I’m so happy to be starting up the Chorley workshop again. It’s been far too long.”
Donna said “I’m very excited to be back after all this time. I can’t wait to see all the old and new participants. We’ll have so much fun again. We do understand, though, that not everyone is ready to get back to their pre-pandemic activities, especially if they are vulnerable, so we are continuing with our full programme of Zoom activities too.”
If you would like to join DanceSyndrome in Chorley, you can find just turn up on the day. All the information and the booking form for future dates is below. Additionally, DanceSyndrome also run face to face inclusive Everybody Dance sessions in Preston on a Wednesday and in Clitheroe on a Saturday and online via Zoom. Visit our Events page for more information.
Small charities like DanceSyndrome are facing huge challenges as we continue to adapt to the changes brought about by the pandemic. Fundraising is now more important than ever to maintain our much needed services and we need your help! Could you be our next Fundraiser of the Month?
Have you got an amazing fundraising idea that could raise some money or grab some attention? We would love to hear from you! We can help you to set up online donations and spread the word about your fundraising.
Every month, we will celebrate our amazing fundraisers through our new “Fundraiser of the Month” scheme. On the 1st of each month, we will choose the fundraiser who has gone above and beyond in the previous month.
It doesn’t have to be raising the highest amount, you might have come up with the most original fundraising idea we have seen, or put in a huge effort to spread the word about your fundraising idea.
We will celebrate our Fundraiser of the Month with a trophy and certificate to show how much we appreciate our amazing fundraisers!
If you would like to donate in support of our fundraisers, you can use the form below or visit our Just Giving page. To get involved as a fundraiser yourself, please email us at info@dancesyndrome.co.uk and tell us your fundraising idea. If you would like some inspiration, you can download a copy of our fundraising pack (easy read version also available) or visit the Fundraising page on our website. We can support you with posters, sponsorship forms, promotion on social media and any other tips. Just get in touch with us for more information.
DanceSyndrome Covid-19 Update – March 2022
As you will be aware, government guidelines around Covid-19 have now all come to an end and we would like to clarify for our participants how we are moving forward at this time.
Whilst government guidelines have ended, we want to encourage continued vigilance against Covid-19 in our dance spaces. DanceSyndrome works with many vulnerable adults and we want to reassure people that we are continuing to do our best to keep people safe in our sessions.
We encourage people visiting our community sessions to do the following, if you are able to:
– We will continue to have sanitiser available on entry to our sessions. Please continue to regularly wash your hands.
– Continue to wear a mask if you are comfortable wearing one
– We encourage Covid-19 testing if you feel unwell
– We ask that if you feel unwell that you don’t attend our sessions until you feel better – this is for the safety of other participants
– If you test positive for Covid-19 within 2 days of attending one of our sessions please let us know so that we can discreetly let other people in the session know that they have been in contact with the virus
– We ask that where possible you continue to book online ahead of sessions to reduce close contact with our session leaders. You can book online here: www.dancesyndrome.co.uk/events
– Please ensure that we have your most up to date contact details so that we can inform you if you have been in a session with a positive case (You can provide up to date contact details via this page on our website.)
If you are extremely vulnerable and are not able to join an in-person session, we are still offering Zoom sessions so that you can continue to dance from the safety of your home. You can find the most up to date information at www.dancesyndrome.co.uk/events
Thank you for working with us to keep everyone in our dancing family safe!
If you have any queries or concerns, please contact info@dancesyndrome.co.uk
DanceSyndrome Founder Jen Blackwell has been named as one of the UK’s most inspirational and dynamic female entrepreneurs in the f:Entrepreneur #ialso100 campaign.
Jen, who has Down’s syndrome, went to mainstream school and her dream was to go on to be a community dance leader providing inclusive dance for everyone. Jen and her Mum spent 10 years searching for the right dance opportunities that would allow her to be a leader and performer. After all that time, they couldn’t find anything that was accessible for Jen, so they started up their own organisation, DanceSyndrome, in 2009.
Fast-forward to 2022 and Jen’s charity is rapidly growing and she is being profiled alongside 100 female entrepreneurs from across the UK, as part of the ‘#ialso100’ campaign to celebrate the achievements of women running businesses in the UK today.
Delivered by Small Business Britain – the leading champion of small businesses in the UK – f:Entrepreneur was launched in 2017 to showcase trailblazing female founders who lead businesses alongside other responsibilities, such as volunteering, mentoring and community support. Many of the businesses featured in this year’s campaign also demonstrate a huge commitment to the environment by championing sustainability. From quantum computer engineers, and vegan fruit farmers, to sustainability advocates and inclusive fashion designers, this year’s campaign celebrates inspiring and resilient female entrepreneurs that have flourished despite the challenges of the past years, with many still growing or starting new ventures.
Facing challenges is nothing new to Jen but she hasn’t let learning disability get in her way; she always has a positive attitude and determination to succeed. She has always wanted to lead, choreograph and perform and her goal is to “get the world dancing!” She absolutely does that through DanceSyndrome, a charity that is co-led by people with learning disabilities working alongside professional Dance Artists to offer inclusive dance workshops, dance leadership training and inspiring performances. Jen thrives in the spotlight and thoroughly enjoys the fun and the smiles and laughter that flow freely in her dance sessions. The inspiring impact Jen and her fellow Dance Leaders have in these sessions has been widely recognised, most notable with a Prime Minister’s Point of Light Award in 2018 and the Queens Award for Voluntary Service 2019, the voluntary organisation equivalent of an MBE. Jen has been featured on prime-time TV by the National Lottery and been invited to events at Buckingham Palace and The House of Lords, amongst many other achievements!
On being featured in the #ialso100 lineup, Jen said: “I am just so honoured to be recognized and part of this amazing community. I am the co-founder of my very own charity the dancing family DanceSyndrome because I didn’t have a life in dance, and now I do! It’s a dream come true. For me and my fellow dancers I give them their lives in dance, and they give me mine. My disability doesn’t define me for who I am. Dance gives me a voice to be heard. I love performing and getting everyone dancing but I couldn’t do it without the support of my mum and dad. They are my rock! My dream is for my dance team to perform at a Manchester City football match at the Etihad Stadium!”
Both f:Entrepreneur and Small Business Britain were founded by Michelle Ovens CBE, who is also the director of Small Business Saturday UK.
“Congratulations to Jen from DanceSyndrome, and all of the brilliant female entrepreneurs featured in this year’s #ialso100,” said Michelle Ovens.
“It is so vital that we recognize and celebrate the phenomenal contribution that women running businesses are making across the UK, and the far-reaching, positive impact they are having, not just on the economy, but on wider communities too. The last few years have been hugely challenging for small businesses, yet despite this female entrepreneurship continues to grow and flourish in the UK, and is very much at the heart of the UK’s recovery.”
To see the full line-up of the 100 amazing women featured in this year’s f:Entrepreneur #ialso100 campaign visit the f:Entrepreneur website.
If you would like to support the work of Jen Blackwell and DanceSyndrome, please visit the Fundraising page of our site, or you can donate directly usign the form below.
On Wednesday 15th December, Pauline Hall was the proud recipient of the very first Christine Doolan Memorial Award. Pauline was given the award as Chris’s sister and for showing great courage during this year of change. Pauline will be the custodian until 2022, when she and others from DanceSyndrome will judge together who receives it next.
The award is given in honour of Chris Doolan and the love that the DanceSyndrome family have for her that will always live on. Chris Doolan was Pauline Hall’s sister and they both joined our Dancing Family in 2017. Everyone involved with DanceSyndrome came to love Chris for her kindness and generosity and her straight-talking, no-nonsense attitude. Everyone knew where they stood with Chris and she would challenge anyone to break down barriers for Pauline and her peers to be included and consulted. “Nothing about me without me” was her motto, echoing DanceSyndrome’s person-centred values and mission to treat everyone equitably and with respect.
Chris loved all that DanceSyndrome stood for and she herself would help anyone in need. She joined in with the weekly dance sessions in Preston and further afield, travelling across the UK to hundreds of events and showcases. She was determined that Pauline would have the life she chose and never let disability be a barrier. Chris had experienced discriminatory practices throughout her work life and she made it clear to everyone that it was unacceptable. She was vocal about how much DanceSyndrome had enabled Pauline to thrive and live her best life.
This award was created in 2021 to celebrate Chris’s life and honour the contribution she made to our world at DanceSyndrome and to the Learning Disability community as a whole. Every year we’ll be looking for a winner who has:
– shown bravery, compassion and caring
– refused to give in when there were barriers
-challenged difficulties and overcome them
– been a great friend to others and brought joy and laughter to all.
Like Chris herself, the annual award winner will lead by example with integrity and demonstrate great generosity of spirit and heart, giving us all something that we can all learn from.
Congratulations to Pauline for displaying all of these wonderful attributes. Everyone at DanceSyndrome is incredibly proud of her this year.
If you know someone who you think should receive the award in 2022, please keep an eye on our social media for details of how to nominate someone. You can join us on:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Linked In
Or sign up for our email newsletter.
If you would like to support our life-changing work, you can use the form below, or visit the Fundraising page of our website for more options.
