I cannot believe how quickly the last 18 months have gone by – they have absolutely flown by and what a whirlwind it has been!
18 months ago I had only just received a bursary from Exercise Movement & Dance (via Wheelchair Dance Sport Association UK [WDSA UK] ) to attend a Wheelchair Dance Instructor’c course run by the WDSA UK. Since then:
- I have partnered up with Disability Advice Service Lambeth who were successful in their bid for start up funding for a wheelchair dance class from Lambeth Council’s Legacy Fund.
- I successfully attended an intensive 5 day level 2 training course to qualifiy as a wheelchair dance instructor.
- I considered many names before deciding on Wheel Be Dancing (whilst waiting to be called into a Jury whilst on Jury Service!)
- I created the logo for Wheel Be Dancing (whilst waiting to be called into a Jury whilst on Jury Service!)
- I created this website
- The very first class of Wheel Be Dancing opened on January 13th 2015
- I have since run 4 terms of Wheelchair Dance Class at our venue in Aspire Health & Wellbeing Centre West Dulwich with regular participants returning each week. The first three courses were funded by Lambeth Legacy fund and the last one by Sportivate via WDSA UK.
- We, the class, have performed at the official launch of the Into Sport Project which is a collaboration of 5 Deaf & Disabled People’s organisations working to support Disabled People to increase their participation in Sport & Physical Activity. We performed to 75 people followed by a taster session of wheelchair dance which was a great success!
- We received sponsorship in Kind in the form of Baseball caps from the Jenson Corporation.
- We have performed at the Liberty Festival at the Olympic Park as part of the National Paralympic Day in July 2015.
- I have taught at 2 large teadances at the Copper box Olympic Park as part of a team of WDSA UK Instructors with 350 + in attendance at each teadance
- I have attended a 2 day instructor course delivered by De Veleta, Holland.
- I have delivered 4, 1 hour taster sessions in Bromley, Southwark and Sevenoaks to young people with Learning Disabilities and to young people with physical disabilities.
- I have started developing Wheel Be Dancing merchandise for sale.
What a start! I can’t wait to see what the next 18 months brings!
Stay tuned for further developments – watch out Kent – here we come!!!