A Greenwich-based organisation, that has run free dance classes for all ages for 30 years, is at risk of closure following an 100 per cent cut to their main source of funding.
Greenwich Dance are currently raising £10,000 to stay afloat, after funding losses and rising costs have put their future into question.
The organisation runs free and donation-based dance classes for the community – “to give everyone the chance to participate in dance.”
Lucy White, a spokesperson for Greenwich Dance, said although the classes are for all ages, with most of them take place during the day, the members tend to be older. She said their main aim is to combat loneliness by using the power of dance to bring people together.
“One member came along to try it after losing her husband to covid, and now she joins us every week.”
Despite providing their services across south-east London for thirty years, funding their mission has not been easy.
“We were unsuccessful in our application to re-join the Arts Council’s National Portfolio at the end of last year.”
“Around the same time,” she continued, ‘we received a 100 per cent cut to our Royal Borough of Greenwich funding which has sustained our core since we started thirty years ago.”
Last year, they moved to a new base – The Nest, a building that borders Bexley and Greenwich. Their target is to raise £10,000 which we will use to cover this years space hire costs within which we run our variety of class programmes.
As part of the fundraising, they are running a rewards scheme with prizes from local businesses.
For instance, if you donate £50 you can get a Sunday roast for two with wine at The Queen’s Pub in Crouch End (worth £76.50) or a cut and blow-dry at The Hairy Chair in Blackheath (worth £60).
Sport England agreed to donate £5,000 if they raised £2,500 of the target – which they just reached the other day. “We are so grateful to them but we still need people’s help to get over the line,” Lucy added.
Click here to donate and see what other rewards are on offer.
https://southwarknews.co.uk/area/greenwich/group-that-offers-free-dance-classes-across-south-london-at-risk-if-they-dont-raise-10k/
