Dancing their way to wellbeing
Sparkles Belly dancers are a group of 50 ladies, aged between 18 and 80, who promote body confidence and an active lifestyle through the joy of belly dancing.
They have raised thousands of pounds for Macmillan and for the baby unit at QEQM hospital in Margate. For this outstanding work, they have been nominated for a Kent Mental Wellbeing Award.
The group organise a show every year and rehearse for hours before performing, designing and making hundreds of intricately made costumes per show. They invite other belly dancing groups to perform with them and organise raffles to help with their fundraising efforts. They also perform at community events and enter all the local carnivals.
The nominator said: “They bring joy to all of the ladies that attend the classes and to everyone that sees them perform. They truly are a celebration of supportive rainbow coloured women many who have long term health conditions.”
The belly dancing group are based in Thanet and is run by Louisa Chibnall, who has had to juggle working as a vetenary nurse and with her responsibilities as part of the group on top of a six month recovery period after giving birth to a premature baby. Louisa has also taught classes for the Team Tasha Fitness HAF children in Thanet and recently for Mencap.
The Kent Mental Wellbeing awards is an annual event designed to showcase the people, organisations and initiatives that help us cope with life. The event’s three themes are: kindness and compassion; wellbeing; mental health.
Whether it is in school, business, community or family, so many of us have been lucky to have people and organisations with ideas, tips and tactics to help us cope. It is time to celebrate those mental health and well-being champions in our community and share this best practice.
The awards will be staged in October by the mental health charity Mind in Bexley and East Kent in collaboration with a range of wellbeing and mental health organisations.
Nominations can be linked to a simple act of kindness that lifted the spirits, a business that has improved staff wellbeing, through to a targeted initiative delivered by a charity or statutory organisation to support a mental health issue.
The event is sponsored by Kent County Council, Kent Community Foundation, ADM Computing, GrainLNG – National Grid, Medway Council, Optyma Security, Wave Community Bank, Cactus Graphics and CommunityAid.
Submit nominations at www.kentmentalwellbeingawards.org.uk For awards news follow @KentMWAwards on Facebook and X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
