Held at the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green on Friday 12th June, the evening was presented by ITV weatherman Alex Beresford, and saw professional dancers Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara, from BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, lead the entertainment with a four-dance showcase. The pair also generously donated a dance with each of them, which were auctioned off on the night, raising an amazing £1,550.
Following on from the success of the last two year’s classes, Phyllis Tuckwell was once again proud to present their Strictly Learn to Dance class. Six couples put themselves forward to take part in ten weeks’ of one-hour dance lessons, with Angela and Stephanie from Angela’s School of Dancing, before performing two show dances at Strictly Dancing - and didn’t they do well!!
Whilst four of the couples applied for Strictly Dancing together, one couple had never even met before! Wanting to fine-tune their dancing skills whilst supporting a fantastic local charity, Vicky Franklin and Andy Sexton had both applied for Strictly Dancing separately and were paired by the Phyllis Tuckwell team. They immediately hit it off and now not only have fond memories of their experience, but also a great new friendship!
And couple Val and Martyn found themselves reunited for dance lessons after not having seen each other since they left school, over 40 years ago. Rock Choir singer Val Marshall was keen to take part in Strictly Dancing, but sadly her husband was unable to join her, so Val posted a request for a dancing partner on Facebook, and soon found herself paired with old school friend Martyn Grimes.
All six couples - each wearing an item of clothing from one of Phyllis Tuckwell’s Hospice Care shops – performed a Paso Doble and an American Smooth on the night, and were thrilled to receive a standing ovation for their efforts!
Also showing the audience their moves were the University of Surrey’s Ballroom and Latin American dance class, who performed a lively Jumping Jive and an impressive Paso Doble. The dance class, formed in 1998, performs at competitions around the country and their classes are open to dancers of all abilities, from novices to advanced performers.
With renowned band Premier Cru providing live music throughout the evening and an invitation for the audience to take to the dance floor themselves, a fantastic time was had by all.
“We would like to thank Lakeside owner Mr Bob Potter OBE for once again kindly donating the use of his renowned venue,” said Laura Moody, Events Fundraising Manger at Phyllis Tuckwell, “Paul Fitchett Images for taking photos on the night, Andrea Crosby from All About Hair, and Lisa Burns for helping with hair and make-up and our fantastic volunteers for their support on the evening”. We have to raise over £15,000 a day to fund our work, so we rely heavily on events such Strictly Dancing, to help us support the 250 patients and relatives we care for every day.”
To find out more about Phyllis Tuckwell’s fundraising events, visit www.pth.org.uk
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Notes for Editors:
For press enquiries and alternative pictures contact: Jen Barnes at Phyllis Tuckwell on 01252 729433 or email jen.barnes@pth.org.uk
