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Becky Rich is a volunteer Dance Leader, Spokesperson and Ambassador for DanceSyndrome. As well as performing in both our contemporary dance and street dance performance teams, Becky works hard to promote our charity by giving inspiring speeches at conferences and special events and working to raise our profile through networking. In particular, she has recently been responsible for recruiting a number of Star Supporters who have given testimonials about the value of our work. Her work was recognised at a national level last year when she was included in the Learning Disability and Autism Leaders List. In this blog, she talks about the List and the impact it has had on her life.

 

“In December 2018 I was proud to be chosen as an inspiring leader on the Learning Disability and Autism Leaders List! I was one of only 15 people chosen in the category of Sports, Arts and Entertainment! It was a real honour for me and I am very proud of this achievement.

 

Today, I am very proud to share that I have been invited to be a judge for the 2019 Leaders List! This is such a privilege and I am very proud to be given this important opportunity!

 

I think that the Leaders’ List is a beautiful way for young leaders, and leaders in general, to be recognised in this way, showing how talented they are, inspiring strong and true leadership. I want to celebrate their talents and show that they are loved in society and that they do great, inspiring work!

 

Part of my role as a judge is to encourage people to nominate themselves or someone they know – I’d love to see lots of amazing people entering and being nominated. To help you to decide if you want to nominate someone, here is some useful information about the list:

 

The Learning Disability and Autism Leaders’ List is a collection of stories about people who have learning disabilities and/or autism. It celebrates and shares the great things they have done.

 

This is the second time the Leaders’ List has been run – I was included in the very first one!

 

The list is run by not-for-profit support provider Dimensions and Learning Disability England and VODG help run the List.

 

In summer, a group of judges – including me! – will choose 42 Leaders.

 

The Leaders’ List will be published on 3rd December 2019. This is International Day of Persons with a Disability.

 

 

The Leaders will have their story published online, like mine, which can be read on the Dimensions website.

 

We're very excited to be able to share another amazing #achievement for one of our #Dance #Leaders! Congratulations to Becky Rich who has been featured in the national Learning Disability Leaders List! https://t.co/qRRsmry4tI#AbilityNotDisability #inclusive #dance

— DanceSyndrome (@DanceSyndrome) December 3, 2018

 

Dimensions will also tell the press and media about the Leaders’ stories. This is because they want more people with learning disabilities and/autism to be seen in the news. This is important because it helps more people understand what learning disabilities and autism are. I love it when I feature in the local newspapers, in articles like this one in the Lancashire Telegraph, because it changes the way people think about disability and that is really important!

 

There are 6 different categories of leaders. One category is Sports, Arts & Entertainment, which I was included in. This is for people who are doing creative and sporty things, like dancing. The other categories are:
– Local communities
– Advocacy, policy and the media
– Work and education
– Groups and teams
– Profound and multiple learning disabilities

A Young Leader award and Lifetime Achievement award will also be given to two Leaders.

 

Everyone who enters themselves or is nominated by somebody else will be given a certificate to say thank you and to celebrate what they have done.

 

Entries for the Learning Disability and Autism Leaders’ List are now officially open. They are open until 6pm on 26th July 2019. Visit www.dimensions-uk.org/leaderslist2019 to find out more about it.

 

I am very honoured to be a judge, I can’t wait to read the stories from people with learning disabilities and/or autism across the country who are making a different to disability awareness because this is a really important message.

 

Please tell people about the Leaders’ List and ask them to tell other people too. We want lots of people to know about it because it is a really great opportunity!

 

If you want to know more about the work I do with DanceSyndrome, you can read my case study or watch this video:

We would also be really grateful if you might think about making a donation to support the amazing work that we do!

Jen Blackwell is Director and Founder of DanceSyndrome. Jen happens to have Down’s syndrome but at no point has that got in the way of her aspiration and determination. She always wanted to be a dancer and nothing was going to stop her! This is the story of how and why she started DanceSyndrome, which is now a Queens Award for Voluntary Service winning charity!

 

Jen went to mainstream school and whilst there she realised how much she loved to dance and decided that she wanted to become a community dance worker. After leaving school in 1999, Jen found herself in the frustrating position of not being able to fulfil her ambition because there was no suitable training for a person with a learning disability.

 

In 2002 Jen and her mum, Sue, were invited to give a presentation at their first national conference, Dancing Differently?, which was organised by the Foundation for Community Dance to celebrate dancers with disabilities. There were over 200 community dancers at that event who all confirmed that the training they sought simply did not exist.

 

Jen’s response to this was “I live for dance, it’s my passion and my life. I have a right to a life of my choosing. My future lies in dance.” She persisted in looking for appropriate dance training, but after 10 years of unsuccessfully searching she took matters into her own hands and DanceSyndrome was formed in 2009.

 

The following year Jen advertised for dancers and got over 100 enquiries! She selected 14 dancers to work with, half of whom had learning disabilities. Together they have grown into a dedicated, inclusive group of learning-disabled Dance Leaders and performers.

 

If you ask Jen why she started DanceSyndrome, the answer is simple “I’ve always wanted to share my passion for dance with others and to get everybody dancing. I want to lead workshops and choreograph performances with other dancers.”

 

Essentially, that is what DanceSyndrome does; in addition to performing on stage at events and conferences, the charity now provides five community workshops that are all fully inclusive, allowing anyone, regardless of age, race, gender or disability, to come along and join in at a pace that suits them in a supportive environment. The workshops are designed and co-led by a learning-disabled Dance Leader and a supporting Dance Artist and many participants have described it as inspirational to see a dance activity that is led by a person with a disability.

 

 

When Jen says “I am changing people’s lives through dance”, she is 100% correct! Research with participants in DanceSyndrome workshops showed that they report many improvements in their lives after a workshop, including feeling physically fitter, having improved mental health, feeling that they have a better social life, having a sense of belonging and being included, being more able to communicate and ultimately just feeling happier.

 

Inspired by the fantastic response to the workshops, DanceSyndrome developed a unique training course called Dance By Example which provides dance leadership opportunities for people with learning disabilities, or anyone who wants to support people with learning disabilities. The course empowers people by developing their skills and confidence and enabling them to deliver dance workshops and work with people with a variety of different needs. This course has proven to be really successful and some participants who have completed the course have gone on to follow in Jen’s footsteps and lead their own community dance workshops with DanceSyndrome.

 

It is amazing for Jen and Sue to see how much impact DanceSyndrome has on people’s lives. Sue is incredibly proud of what her daughter has achieved “Jen has always been focused on sharing her passion and getting others dancing and she has proven that together we can make people all around sit up and take notice”.

 

People have certainly started to take notice. In September 2015, Jen won “Inspirational Woman of the Year” at the Enterprise Vision Awards, which celebrate women in business across the North West. On winning the award Jen said “Winning this award shows that people with learning disabilities can do amazing things with their lives if given a chance.”

 

 

The award opened doors for Jen and DanceSyndrome. In 2016, Jen was featured in an independent documentary called “Superabled”, the charity gained Art’s Council England funding for a performance piece and this lead to their debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017, with a second appearance in 2018! The team were chosen as winners as the Sporting Choice Award winners at the 2016 Learning Disability and Autism Awards, Not For Profit of the Year at the 2017 Red Rose Awards and another documentary about DanceSyndrome’s work, “Dream, Believe, Achieve”, was the winner of the 2017 Mencap Broadcast Journalism Award. In 2018 they were chosen as Charity of the Year at the E3 Awards and Jen personally received a Points of Light Award from the Prime Minister as well as being included in the Power 100 list of influential people with a disability. Just this week DanceSyndrome has been awarded a Queens Award for Voluntary Services, the voluntary group equivalent of an MBE!

 

DanceSyndrome Managing Director Dawn Vickers says “Jen is a huge inspiration to everyone involved with DanceSyndrome. It’s such a privilege to support her and her peers to achieve their ambitions. We have so many individual success stories from dancers that Jen has helped to empower along the way.”

 

Jen’s life could have potentially been limited by learning difficulties, but thanks to her enthusiasm and determination she is living a fulfilled life, immersed in her passion for dance. Her work with DanceSyndrome is now providing opportunities to other people, with and without disabilities, enabling them to explore their potential as leaders, dancers and valued contributors to society. By following their dreams the dancers have become role models for others, sharing DanceSyndrome’s philosophy that in dance, and in life, learning disability, inclusion and equality should be the norm.

 

If you are inspired by Jen’s story and the award winning work of DanceSyndrome there are many ways that you can support us, including volunteering, fundraising and donating. Find out more on the Support Us page or you can donate directly using the form below:

 

Peter Pamphlett was one of the first volunteer dancers to join Jen Blackwell when DanceSyndrome was first established and he has been a vital member of the team ever since, playing an active role in scoping out what the group wanted the charity to look like and the activities they wanted to deliver. In his time with DanceSyndrome Peter has blossomed as an individual and his confidence exudes, especially as he delivers our unique Dance By Example training course to future Dance Leaders, using his previous experiences to help others with their communication and develop their skills in both dance and leadership. He is also a key member of the Board of Trustees. Here Peter talks about why volunteering with DanceSyndrome is so important to him.

 

Peter was born in 1978 at Bolton Royal Hospital. When he was a child it became clear that he had a speech impediment, a learning disability which means that although his brain processed information quite quickly he couldn’t always communicate what he was thinking and people found it very hard to understand him.

 

This was frustrating for Peter but his dad really helped to coach him into communicating clearly, focusing on thinking about what he wanted to say, breathing and filling his lungs and then speaking. This really helped Peter and is a technique he now uses to coach others in a similar position.

 

Peter found school challenging until he was moved to Claremont Primary in Salford, a special school where they nurtured and supported him and found out about his interests in drama, music and drawing. This continued through secondary school and his confidence grew after securing a place on the school council and helping to set up a drama group – So Many Words Theatre Company.

 

Peter now leads a busy, independent life. On a weekly basis he volunteers at YouCan Community Club and also goes to a disability social night called Top Club in Salford where he is the DJ for Discos, helps run activities, supports trips out and helps with holiday activities; is the volunteer escort for the Ring And Ride Service in Salford, where he supports individuals on transport to Youth Club providing respite for families; is a dance leader with DanceSyndrome where he leads workshops, attends core company rehearsals, co-delivers training and delivers presentations at conferences. Peter has also worked in the DanceSyndrome office, helping with a variety of administrative tasks, including data processing, organising events and video editing.

 

 

“Before I joined DanceSyndrome I did some bits of dancing with the youth club that I volunteer with but not much. I did some drama too but I couldn’t find a good regular dance activity until I saw DanceSyndrome advertised.  I’ve been involved with DanceSyndrome since the very start and I have been able to do many exciting performances and workshops.”

 

“The impact DanceSyndrome has is overwhelming. What we are doing hasn’t happened before, it’s unique.”

 

“Thanks to DanceSyndrome I have done so many things I wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise. We performed on Comic Relief in 2013, we have been to the Edinburgh Fringe twice (2017 and 2018), we have performed to hundreds of people at big conferences and awards ceremonies. The performances are always really moving for the audiences and it is an amazing feeling to hear people cheering loudly and giving us standing ovations!”

 

 

“DanceSyndrome has helped me because I’m able to do things at my own pace, I’m never rushed. DanceSyndrome has made me more confident and I have learned lots of new things, but especially how to be a Dance Leader . I now have so much experience that I help to deliver the Dance By Example training courses and training for university students. I can see my friends learning and growing and now I know how to support them and enable them to achieve bigger things too, like leading workshops and special events. I’m always proud of the work we do. It’s inspiring to see people make progress and see the really good work that people do in our sessions.”

 

“There are times when I feel very proud of myself too. When I was leading a training session in Nottingham a professional Dance Artist said to me that I had made the instructions so clear and explained it in a way she had never thought to do. It’s a great feeling to know that you can help people who have been professionally trained to learn new things and see a new way of doing things that includes everyone.”

 

If you would like to support the work of volunteers like Peter, donations of all sizes help us to continue our work. You can donate directly through the form below:

Becky Rich is a volunteer Dance Leader, Spokesperson and Ambassador for DanceSyndrome. As well as performing in both our contemporary dance and street dance performance teams, Becky works hard to promote our charity by giving inspiring speeches at conferences and special events and working to raise our profile through networking. In particular, she has recently been responsible for recruiting a number of Star Supporters who have given testimonials about the value of our work. Here, in a blog for Volunteers Week 2019, she talks about why DanceSyndrome is her chosen charity. 

 

I am a proud volunteer with DanceSyndrome, a charity that helps people to have a better life through dancing.

 

I discovered DanceSyndrome in 2014 when I was at college and I was looking for ideas of what to do next. I completed the Dance By Example leadership training and I’m now a qualified Dance Leader. I did such a good job of being a leader, I have recently been appointed Ambassador and Spokesperson. Since I joined DanceSyndrome I have won local and national awards and was included on the national Learning Disability and Autism Leaders List 2018!

 

I love volunteering with DanceSyndrome because it means I get lots of opportunities that I wouldn’t get otherwise. There is not another charity like this, it is unique! That is why it is important to me to give my time to help them and to get involved in fundraising activities.

 

DanceSyndrome is more than just dancing, we are a family. I have made lots of really important friends and we all support each other to achieve great things. This has helped me in my life outside DanceSyndrome too.

 

The DanceSyndrome motto is “ability not disability” and my job as a volunteer is to share this message. I have spoken at big events at City Hall, London, Kew Gardens, the Small Awards in London, Loughborough University, Manchester, Wigan, Lancaster University etc. I love to travel and talk about my work with DanceSyndrome and to tell people that everyone can achieve great things and that disability shouldn’t be a barrier. I want other people with disabilities to know that they can follow their dreams too and have a career of their choice. DanceSyndrome gives me amazing opportunities to go out and help other people, which is really important to me.

 

 

I have also performed dance pieces at all the above venues, as well as two successful years at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. We held big fundraising campaigns to get the whole team up to Edinburgh because we knew how much we could achieve if we got there. We were successful and the audiences there loved what DanceSyndrome stands for. We got an incredible response. People at this year’s festival took our work very seriously and we were celebrated as professional performers. People focused on our talents and abilities, not our disabilities.  It feels great to know that we are changing people’s minds about what disability means.

 

I love to meet new people and talk to them about the work we do and this is my role now as Ambassador and Spokesperson. DanceSyndrome makes me and lots of other people really happy and that is a wonderful thing. I don’t think I would have had so many incredible opportunities without DanceSyndrome and I’m inspired to keep achieving more and more.

 

If you are inspired by Becky’s story and would like to find out more about how you can get involved with DanceSyndrome, please visit the Support Us page. If you would like to know more about Becky’s inspirational speaking role, please visit the Special Events & Conferences page.