Kensington & Chelsea (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Kensington-based charity Age UK receives vital Cash4Clubs funding to provide Soca dance sessions for the elderly, boosting social engagement and well-being.
The Ladbroke Grove-based organization will use the crucial award to fund specialized Soca tutoring for local youth and senior participants in order to enhance their mental health. and prepare them to take part in a dance competition the day before the carnival in Notting Hill.
Originating in the Caribbean, soca is a vibrant and vivacious dance that incorporates aspects of Indian and African rhythms.
The sessions will be held for approximately 15 older participants and children from a nearby school, according to the organisers, who say the £2,000 support from Flutter’s Cash4Clubs programme would enable them to engage with young people and enhance their mental health.
It is anticipated that the results of the club’s monthly classes, which are instructed by a Soca dance specialist, will be displayed at the Portobello Nights event, which serves as a prelude to the Notting Hill Carnival on August 21.
Ximena Chiesa, activities and events manager at Age UK, Kensington & Chelsea, said:
“This funding is a godsend. It will give our members a chance to experience something they never usually would – Soca dancing. Soca dancing is quite fast-paced so is not only great for a new experience but it’s wonderful for being mobile.
However, it is expensive to get a tutor and this money will allow us to do that. It will allow around 15 of our members to join in. It will be great for their mental health and to do it with local school kids, who they wouldn’t usually mix with, gives them something extra positive in their life.”
He added that he knows that they will really enjoy the weekly sessions and the goal is to take them to the carnival where they’ll exhibit what they’ve learned. It’s wonderful and they couldn’t have done it without the funding.
200 winners nationwide have been chosen to receive £2,000 in funding from Flutter UKI, which supports Cast4Clubs. The cash will be used to upgrade facilities, conduct coaching programs, and encourage involvement in sports and wellness.
Flutter UK has invested about £6.5 million in community sports since the Cash4Clubs initiative began in 2008.
The Cash4Clubs initiative helped more than 40,000 participants in 50 different sports and activities last year. Nearly 85% of the clubs that received funding came from lower socioeconomic categories.
Age UK Lambeth, the Single Homeless Project, Step Up 2 Fitness, Friends with Diabetes UK, Haringey Borough Women FC, Inglis Netball Club, Legacy Foundation Global CIC, London Stags RFC, Mile Rainbow C.I.C, Misgav, One to One Enfield, Raphael Rowe Foundation, Run Walk Lewisham, and The Ernest Foundation are among the other London clubs that have benefited from the Flutter Cash4Clubs funding initiative.
Age UK Kensington and Chelsea works to avoid loneliness among senior citizens in the West London community.
Ximena said:
“The carnival in August will feature Soca dance performances, and the grant will fund the tutor and other expenses of getting to the carnival.
We aim to break stereotypes and build relationships between different age groups. We feel dance really does that. We see our elderly members coming away with great big grins on their faces. It is such fun for them.”
Flutter UK CEO Kevin Harrington, said:
“The Cash4Clubs initiative is a key part of our group’s global commitment to improve the lives of 10 million people in the communities where we operate by 2030 as part of our Positive Impact Plan.
Community clubs are the bedrock of sport in the UK and Ireland, and we are committed to doing everything we can to help these smaller organisations continue to make a big difference to people’s lives.”
He added that last year they doubled their funding from £200,000 to £400,000 after receiving so many applications.
The number of clubs needing financial assistance continues to grow, which indicates the real value these grants have for local grassroots organisations, many of which are existing on a shoestring.
Later this year, other community groups and charities in London will be able to apply for grants in a fresh round, similar to the one that Age UK obtained.
How will the ‘Cash4Clubs’ funding enhance Soca dance classes for the elderly in Kensington & Chelsea?
The charity will be able to recruit a professional Soca dance tutor to lead weekly sessions for approximately 15 senior participants and local schoolchildren thanks to the £2,000 “Cash4Clubs” award, which will greatly improve the Soca dance courses for the elderly in Kensington & Chelsea.
By offering an enjoyable, active, and socially stimulating exercise, this intergenerational method serves to improve the mental health and wellness of the elderly, some of whom have physical challenges and dementia.
In order to provide the elderly with a special and inspiring experience, the financing also covers costs associated with getting participants ready for a performance at the Portobello Nights festival, which serves as a warm-up event for the Notting Hill Carnival.