Hi,

Thanks for looking at our Just Giving page.

This weekend, Hannah Rotchell & I are taking part in a race called the "Commando Series" (think running, climbing, jumping and 18 freezing water filled obstacles) to raise money for the "Stopgap Dance West Kent Youth Group". Stopgap Dance Company (charity #1116776) is a professional dance company and charity who work with both disabled and non-disabled dancers to put on performances all over the world.

Here's the difficult bit for me... the explanation of why Hannah & I are fundraising;

I have two amazing girls - the eldest of whom, Anja, has special needs. With her sister, Anja attends a mainstream, inclusive primary school which gives her endless support & opportunities. Unfortunately opportunities for inclusive activities outside school are much more limited. Many people work hard to provide activities, however it’s a reality that finding suitable activities is difficult.

To our story - around 18 months ago, Stopgap visited Anja’s school to perform & put on a workshop with huge success. Having heard how the children enjoyed the class, I got the opportunity to help establish a regular local class going forward. Jan Cockburn (Anja's teaching assistant) & I have worked with Hannah (the dance teacher & my running partner) & are now into the second year of running the class - however as you might expect, funding remains critical. Our aim is to raise money to ensure we can keep participation costs low, to help cover overheads & to help cover the cost of transportation – including to take our group perform at the Stopgap Christmas platform.

Any donation helps. Inclusive activities benefit everyone regardless of ability so your support is invaluable!

Finally – feel free to watch our video for more info;
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SveT2Evj2nU

Thank you for reading & thank you for donating – in return we’re prepared to brave the cold and tackle the course!

Peter & Hannah