Annual Tea Dance - a dance away success

On Thursday 3rd October, Age UK Somerset held their annual fund raising event at the Winter Gardens Pavillion in Weston-super-Mare. More than 150 dancers attended, joined by families, carers and volunteers, whirling round to ballroom, Latin and sequence dance favourites. Music was provided by Mark Helmore.

The Tea Dancing event was organised by Tansin Benn, who is a Trustee and Volunteer of Age UK Somerset. Tansin was joined in the interval by 30 volunteers, who all attend local Age UK Somerset classes, to demonstrate some of the exercises and movements they learn each week. The charity runs more than 150 classes weekly, with 2,700 people regularly attending last year. The classes help keep older people healthy and active and provide important social contact. Nearly £2,000 was raised at the Tea Dance to support the charity’s activities in North Somerset.

Dianne Ramsay, Ageing Well’s Manager at Age UK Somerset said, “our tea dancing event gets better each year. We are incredibly lucky to have been supported by so many local businesses and organisations, including Avery Healthcare’s Acer House and The Hawthorns, as well as St Monica’s Trust, Helping Hands and Invest South West.

A special thank you to everyone who helped on the day, including NatWest who sent along some volunteers and local school, Mead Vale Primary, who allowed one of their pupils, Charlie Stevens, to take a day off school!