International Volunteers Day 2022

05 December 2022 is International Volunteers Day which was created to celebrate the power and potential of volunteerism.

It is an opportunity for volunteers, and volunteer organisations, to raise awareness of, and gain understanding for, the contribution they make to their communities. It is also viewed as a unique chance for volunteers and organisations to celebrate their efforts & to share their values.

We are very fortunate to have three incredible volunteers that work with us each week, Claire, Emily and Jan. It is an absolute joy to have them in class and our participants think they are fab. We are so thankful for the time and generosity that they, and all of the other volunteers worldwide, share with their local communities.

We were curious to learn more about our volunteers and why they choose to volunteers with us. You can read what they had to say, below.

Jan - Volunteer at our Dancing With Parkinson's class, Colchester "My name is Jan, I volunteer with a local Dancing with a local Parkinsons Group, a lovely crowd of people on Wednesday afternoons and we have great fun together.

My background is Physical Education teaching and for the last twenty five years I have worked as a self employed Massage and Aromatherapist, latterly from my practice in Wivenhoe.

I welcomed the opportunity to become a volunteer with Dancing with Parkinsons because I love all kinds of dance and therapeutic movement, strongly believing how beneficial it can be for everyone's physical and mental well-being and as a medium for strengthening mobility and offering pure enjoyment in connection with others.

We use our concentration and co-ordination as we share our dancing experiences and laugh and learn new routines and exercises in a stimulating, safe and supportive environment."

Claire - Volunteer at our Dancing With Dementia class, Colchester

"Dementia and Dancing are both very close to my heart so volunteering for 'Dancing with Dementia’ has been the perfect opportunity for me to help, support and give back.

From my 1st session at Dancing with Dementia, I could see how much everyone enjoyed it, how the interaction was so beneficial to all the participants, and to see everyone in the room smiling! Just the small things we can do as volunteers can help, even if it is chatting to carers and those living with dementia after the dance class over a cup of tea!

My mum is in the latter stages of Dementia and due to the distance between us and working full time, I haven’t been able to do any ‘hands-on' care for her. I wanted to do something positive and proactive to help those with Dementia. As a daughter of someone with this disease, it is very hard to see your loved one slipping away, so to make a difference to other people’s lives, whether it is the person with dementia or carer, is hugely beneficial - for both them and me personally.

Dancing has always been a passion for me, from a little girl doing Ballet classes right up to the present day, where I do multiple dance classes during the week. I find so many benefits from dancing, not only being physically fit, but it helps my own mental health, doing something for myself and meeting up with my fellow dancers and having loads of fun - I have made lifelong friends through dancing and I love it!"