Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice’s ‘Let’s Danceathon’ is back – and it’s asking local people to bust their best moves in support of the charity.
The city’s biggest danceathon – which takes place on Saturday 9th March in Harborne – will see dance enthusiasts strut their stuff for six continuous hours to help raise vital funds for the Hospice.
Experts will lead participants through six different styles of dance, including Bollywood, SoFunk and SwingTrain, with the latter combining the energetic sounds of the Charleston with an upbeat electro twist.
There will even be an opportunity for dancers to freestyle, giving them a chance to perfect the styles they’ve just learned or allow them to bust their favourite signature moves.
Let’s Danceathon is organised by Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, with all funds raised going towards caring for people who are living with life-limiting illness. The Hospice aims to help people to live well with their illness, right up to the end of life, as well as support families, loved ones and carers too.
Zoe Mather has been working at the Hospice for over 8 years as a Volunteer Support Worker Coordinator. She oversees a team of generous volunteers who give up their time to support people through grief and bereavement.
Last year, Zoe took on Let’s Danceathon to help raise funds for the charity that she describes as “a lifeline to so many people”. She said: “Not many people realise that at Birmingham St Mary’s, we don’t just support patients – we help their families, loved ones and carers too, right through a person’s illness and even after their death. Supporting people who have experienced a bereavement is such a complex thing – the effects of grief may always stay with a person but we try to find ways of helping them to cope and deal with the changes that they are experiencing in their day-to-day lives.
“Taking on Let’s Danceathon was a really fun way to raise money for a charity that positively impacts so many people living across Birmingham and Sandwell. There was so much energy in the room and even though I’m no dancing pro, I really enjoyed dancing the day away with friends and learning some new styles.”
This is the third Let’s Danceathon that Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice has hosted, with the event growing every year. Last year, the event sold out to 250 participants, raising over £18k for the Hospice.
Laura Nash, events manager at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, added: “Whether you’re a complete beginner or a dancing queen, Let’s Danceathon is a really fun and lively way to get moving in support of a great local charity.
“At the Hospice, we are committed in helping people to live well with life-limiting illness but we can only do this with the generous support of the public. Every pound raised for this event will go towards caring for and supporting individuals, family members, loved ones and carers who are living with life-limiting illness.”
This year, Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice will be celebrating 40 years of care across Birmingham and Sandwell. When the Hospice first opened in 1979, it could care for 25 people on any given day. Four decades later and the Hospice is supporting over 400 people every day, providing care in people’s homes, in the community, at its Day Hospice facility and at the Hospice’s Inpatient Unit.
Let’s Danceathon takes place from 3.30pm to 11pm at Lordswood Girls School, Birmingham, B17 8QB. Tickets cost £15 each or £12 per person when booked in a team of five. To find out more or to book, visit here.
