Staff from across The Calico Group took Blackpool Tower Ballroom by storm – and raised £1000s for a number of charities – for a very special dance competition.
Over the past five months, eighteen novice couples from across the company have spilled endless amounts of blood, sweat and tears to learn a series of challenging dance routines, culminating in the spectacular Calico Come Dancing event, held at Blackpool Tower Ballroom on Friday 24th March.
Under the guidance of Stephen Reece-Buck, from Energize Dance and Fitness in Burnley, and Martina Coggins, from Tracing Steps in Middleton, the group has worked hard to master every step of the Waltz, Tango, Jive and Cha-Cha-Cha, as well as a couple of impressive group dances.
On the night, the dancers were dressed to the nines in stunning dresses and tuxedos, and the ladies got glammed up with hair and make-up courtesy of Nelson and Colne College’s Hair and Beauty students.
Despite the nerves, every couple took to the dancefloor with grace and poise, and put on a very entertaining show.
Trophies were awarded for each of the different dances, and an overall ‘Best Dancers’ trophy was presented to Joanne Hoyle, from Calico Homes, and Patrick Talbot, from Acorn Recovery Projects.
The night wasn’t just about dancing – it was also an opportunity to reflect on some of the remarkable achievements the dancers have made over the past six months, including:
- Maureen Fay, from SafeNet, received a well-deserved ‘Hero Award’ as, four months into training, Maureen suffered from a heart attack and was rushed to hospital; despite this, she was back on the dancefloor within weeks, and put on a spectacular display on the night
- Initially reluctant to have a spray tan, Phil Jones, Group Head of Skills, turned a fetching shade of mahogany after staff from across the company raised over £300 for his chosen charity
- After Shana Hindle, from Calico’s Elizabeth Street Project, was left without a partner, Ethan Price, from Calico Homes, gallantly stepped up and learnt the waltz virtually overnight.
Calico Come Dancing was organised as part of Calico’s Wellbeing Initiative, aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of staff, and strengthening relationships across The Calico Group.
The event was fully funded through ticket sales and generous sponsorship from local businesses, and all proceeds from the event will go to each of the dancers’ chosen charities.
The dancers have raised £1,000s for charity through Justgiving, and an additional £1,200 was raised on the night through sales of programmes and merchandise, and a prize draw.
The event was organised by Carmel Roberts, Calico’s Learning and Development Manager, who, along with a group of dedicated volunteers, spent months planning every last detail.
Carmel said:
“The night was simply spectacular. I’m so proud of all of our dancers. The progress they’ve made is incredible – from novice dancers to being capable of performing all four dances excellently. They should be proud of what they’ve achieved.
“So much work has been put in behind the scenes to ensure everything ran smoothly on the night, and I’d like to thank everyone who gave their time to help make the occasion so thoroughly amazing.
“I’d also like to thank everyone who helped us raise such a spectacular amount of money for a range of fantastic causes.”
