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2022-04-30-accounts

Synergy Dance® Outreach – Trustees report and annual financial statements for the year 1st May 2021 to 30th April 2022

Registered Charity No: 1180506

Address: 2 Forster Road, Guildford, Surrey Tel: 01483 954135 Email: admin@synergydanceoutreach.co.uk

Synergy Dance Outreach: CIC Registered number: 1180506

Trustees' Report for the period to 30th April 2022

Trustees present their annual report and the financial statements for the year ended 30th April 2022.

The Trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102), effective from accounting periods commencing 1 January 2015 or later. This year’s charity accounts are prepared by Carter Collins & Myer Ltd.

Trustees' Report for the period to 30th April 2022

Trustees

Nicola Whittaker Mary Ungoed-Thomas Rachelle Franklin

Registered Office

2 Forster Road, Guildford Surrey GU2

Steering group

Judy Thompson and Geoff Blake.

A chance for those directly affected by SEND – either personally, or via their children, to influence our services, be part of the design and to help us to connect with local communities.

Independent Examiners and accountants

Carter Collins & Myer Ltd Chichester House 2 Chichester St Rochdale, Lancashire OL16 2AX

Catheryn Day: Accountant Robert Newman Chichester House (Independent Examiner)

Bankers

Santander Bridle Road, Liverpool, Merseyside, L30 4FB

Brand Ambassador:

Will Perry – Paralympic swimmer.

Abbreviations in this report:

CYP: Children Young People SEND: Special Educational Needs & Disabilities LTHC: Long Tern Health Conditions SEN: Special Educational Needs ASD: Autistic Spectrum Disorder MLD: Mild Learning Disability ODD: Oppositional defiant disorder

The Charity

DIVERSITY. INCLUSION. BELONGING

Synergy Dance® Outreach was set up to improve the mental, physical health & wellbeing of children & young people (CYP), adults and seniors, marginalised by Special Educational Needs & disabilities (SEND) and long term/life-limiting health conditions (LT&LLHCs) by delivering inclusive, accessible, dance, yoga, singing & fitness activities that remove the usual barriers preventing participation.

We address the fact that disabled people are twice as likely to be inactive as non-disabled people, so ensure fun, accessible opportunities, both in-person & online, that encourage regular activity that will improve long-term physical, emotional, mental health and wellbeing. We ensure neither finance, fitness, ability/disability nor family circumstance are barriers to access. Participants tell us that our classes improve their mood and build confidence and resilience, better enabling them to meet the challenges of their conditions.

Our beneficiaries include people with special educational needs (SEND), those who are visually impaired, seniors, those with long term health conditions (LTHC) and other disadvantaged people, children and young people.

As a charity, we enable service users to get active, have fun, reduce stress and combat loneliness. Our classes help maintain fitness, core strength, flexibility and motor skills, improve posture and also help relieve stress, boost the immune system and aid restful sleep.

Time for change

Our goal is to help you reach yours...

We provide activities for:

The disability community

We partner with leisure chains, charities, councils, trusts and schools to deliver activities. For community projects, we provide classes free for families with disabled children as their income is estimated to be around 23.5% below the UK average. We are passionate about providing children with opportunities & have engaged with many families from low socio-economic groups. Our core values are inclusion, innovation, value for money, quality of delivery and excellent service.

Rehab and Return to Fitness programme - for health referrals

Special Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

Seated dance, pilates, fitness and yoga (ParaStars Yoga® & ParaStars Dance™) Courses for those with long

Courses for seniors in care homes and residential settings

Inclusive courses for primary Synergy Dance and secondary schools Outreach

term health conditions

The deaf community

Participants low on confidence or who don't like team sports Mainstream workouts - innovative and fun from breakdance, to yoga and wellbeing to low impact dance

Visually impaired and blind including audio workouts

Healthy ageing and wellbeing - low impact and progressive dance programmes

Synergy Active Online™

We supply live classes onsite & have recorded some 700+ digital pre-recorded dance, yoga, pilates, fitness & meditation courses for all ages. We also provide school clubs, themed workshops, holiday programs, seated courses and SEND programs for schools, leisure centres, charities, trusts and care homes.

See: https://vimeo.com/776286671/39a50570f2

In the last 2 years we have won 6 Awards and are unique in providing an on demand inclusive platform of activities for children who are mainstream, SEN, Visually Impaired & Blind, Deaf/hard of hearing, disabled, or with a long-term health condition.

Our professionally recorded activities target conditions including physical disabilities (congenital & acquired), wheelchair participants, mental health issues & neurological conditions.

CYP with disabilities are more likely to be obese and risk rises with age: Activity Alliance, 2018.

The impact of our work has really touched our team – see stories at the end of this report.

Benefits include stress relief, improved mental health, reduced anxiety, improved fitness/posture, flexibility, motor skills, core-strength, agility, balance, spatial awareness, help relieve and manage chronic pain and improve stamina. We build confidence, provide new networks and friendships.

We are unique in providing activities that overcome all the barriers to exercise and meet recommendations to combat inactivity and poor mental health.

Eg Sport England 2020: only 23% of disabled people were able to complete 30 minutes of activity 5 x a week due to accessibility issues. We stand out because we serve diverse groups of CYP.

The COVID crisis forced people to improve both their digital skills and access and we provided all the support needed to do this, we had to adapt, forget “what was working before” & think on our feet. Online services have become normalized with a massive increase in people consuming on demand digital services. This new format has enabled us to help people improve their health & wellbeing.

Synergy Active online platforms were designed to use technology that will enable easy onboarding of children and adults to train, keep fit & learn new skills.

We are sharing our workouts nationally via Everyone Active.

We are unique in providing a diverse range of inclusive activities for CYP, reaching 20,000 in person & up to 200,000+ online, with a wide range of 700+ pre-recorded classes for CYP with SEND & LTHCs, Visually Impaired/Blind, the Deaf Community, wheelchair participants, mental health conditions & for those with additional needs.

SEN includes those with learning difficulties & autism, ADHD, ASD, global development delay, MLD, ODD, downs syndrome, dyspraxia and hearing loss. LTHC includes spinal injuries, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, cancer, multiple disabilities, asthma, long-covid and amputation.

A recent survey found that 78% of people with a disability, including visually impaired, said they wouldn’t have exercised without Synergy’s online program. 94% said they were happier & less anxious after classes. Online, on-demand and livestream at-home activities continue to be in demand with 80% of customers using them post-pandemic. Also 67% of respondents reported improved fitness levels.

Welcome from Rachael Hurton (CEO)

Welcome to Synergy Dance® Outreach. We are here to fight for change. I always wanted to provide the same opportunities for all - and to provide fit for purpose, innovative and fun activities, not something out of date or “token” in its effects.

On a personal level, I had an ambition to address the fact that disabled people are twice as likely to be inactive as non-disabled people with 53% saying this is due to "no activities suitable for me".

We set up Synergy Outreach to Make a Difference, having discovered a lack of inclusive, fun dance and yoga activities which appealed to all. I could see the huge potential dance and fitness has to enrich lives and fitness levels. I wanted everyone to have this opportunity, potentially on a global basis. To reach out to the SEND community, we created inclusive, fun dance, fitness and yoga activities which appealed to all and were accessible, fun and fit for purpose. As a parent, I wanted to break down stereotypes as not everyone is suited to team sports and I wanted to appeal to boys too.

Since starting out we have discovered ever-growing demand for onsite and on demand classes for SEND children with autism, visually impaired/blind, a disability, deaf and LTHC. The only thing holding us back is funding to set up more classes in more areas – and we currently have waiting lists for Essex, Glasgow, Trafford, Kent and London.

I now have a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by people in finding exercise they want and are motivated to do and that is inclusive & accessible. It’s all about being the right price, fun & easy to access with levels and activities for everyone. My ultimate goal is to make a difference within the activity sector. As a charity we aim to inspire more accessible inclusive activity for all.

We turn obstacles to keeping fit, into opportunities. Our workouts reach everyone, and we help people to feel good about exercise.

So many families are wanting the same opportunities and choice for their son or daughter with SEN. I get excited every time we get a new enrolment or sign up! We have seen a spike in enquiries for Synergy Dance® Outreach classes throughout the UK in the last year, especially since our exposure on Strictly.

Our unique innovative classes are meeting unmet need and get people active.

In the last 2 years we also pivoted to become digital, harnessing new technology and automation and have recorded some 700 pre-recorded classes.

If you would like to help us to run future projects, become a sponsor or volunteer - please contact us on manager@synergydanceoutreach.co.uk

Thank you again - for helping us to make a difference.

Rachael

Rachael Hurton

Breaking down barriers

We have expanded into Ed-Tech/Health-Tech & the Tech-for-good sector. We aim to inspire more accessible inclusive digital activity in the UK & globally & to make a difference to as many children and adults as possible.

This year we’ve explored new areas like social prescribing with the NHS to help people with LTHC’s or mental health conditions.

We have carved a niche in the market for children’s activities to be fully inclusive and we are planning a new ethical franchise model already started in Essex. This will create new employment & inclusive opportunities.

We will also expand our team of talent who provide our ground-breaking pre-recordings: see https://vimeo.com/776286671/39a50570f2

Soon, we are going to be piloting a national online training program for ParaStars Yoga® and ParaStars Dance® - new innovations for seated dance. We also have plans to set up a national training program for Synergy teachers from 2023-2024.

We have explored how digital offerings will evolve beyond the pandemic & what strategies we can deploy to provide the perfect mix between live & digital offerings to meet the increasingly sophisticated needs of modern children.

The pandemic has prompted us to prioritize mental health & activities for children, with 50% focusing more on their wellbeing in 2022. Far from being stop-gaps to tide the industry over during the COVID pandemic, livestream & on-demand activities have become vital additions to leisure provider's & school’s long-term digital offerings, with 80% of customers planning to continue using them post-pandemic. The digital fitness boom & growth of home working mean today’s CYP need a connected fitness experience that offers convenience & enables them to maintain a more active lifestyle. This especially resonates with the disability community.

The cost-of-living crisis

On occasion in the last year, we have sadly been forced to close much needed SEND classes, which local families rely on, due to inadequate funding to sustain.

Also, many more families with disabled members live in poverty with parents unable to work full time or at all. Many are struggling more with poor mental health worsened by feelings of isolation, as they have not been able to access usual services and many, especially those with learning disabilities/autism struggle to express and deal with their emotions.

Our goal is to offer even more heavily subsidised services to ensure financial accessibility, especially now so many are affected by the cost-of-living crisis and our own costs e.g. staff costs and room hire are increasing, as we now often have to pay travel to make it viable for our teachers.

Part of our ongoing strategy is to increase our fundraising efforts to enable more delivery in more areas of Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, London and Essex which is subsidised or free, and very accessible to the families who need it most. Our activities are fun and inspiring, and our success stories and testimonials often bring a tear to the eye!

We also have high demand in the Manchester and Birmingham area and are planning more Outreach services in these locations to meet need.

Structure, governance and management

Synergy Dance Outreach – Charity registration number 1180506

The charity number, principal addresses and details of professional advisers are set out in the administrative information at the front of the report and accounts.

Synergy Dance® Outreach is a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) governed by a Board of 3 Trustees. The charity was founded in May 2017 to meet local need and create positive change, by removing barriers to enable people experiencing disadvantage and marginalisation to improve their physical and mental health and wellbeing through accessible, inclusive and innovative dance, fitness, yoga, singing and related activities. Beneficiaries include those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), older people, and other disadvantaged children and young people. Inclusivity is of the utmost importance to us and we aim to ensure neither finance, fitness, ability, disability nor family circumstance are barriers to participation.

The Governing document, and Constitution document is a CIO Foundation Constitution.

The powers available to the Trustees are set out in the Governing document and Constitution – which clearly state the objectives of the charity and rules about Trustees. The Board is at the present time, 3 trustees, with teaching, special needs and editorial backgrounds. Recruitment and appointment of new Trustees remains a collective decision via the Management committee of Trustees.

The Charity is managed by a Board of Trustees which delegates day to day operations to the admin and management team. The Board of Trustees reserves to itself powers of appointment of the CEO, Project Managers, admin staff and Managers as a group collective. It also retains responsibility for financial control and reporting, and the Trustees' report and financial statements.

Governance

Synergy is governed by a dedicated passionate board of 3 trustees with a broad skills spectrum and includes Trustees who have children with SEND and family members with disabilities who have been involved since its inception. The board have guided the organisation from a small community non-profit group that started to meet local need, to become a CIO registered with the charity commission, that has built great relationships with many local organisations including Surrey Council, Surrey Choices, Active Surrey, Community foundation for Surrey, Sight for Surrey, Surrey Special Schools Sports Association to now be partnering with national organisations such as EMD UK and British Blind Sport.

The charity is led by founder and CEO Rachael Hurton and supported by a team with a broad skills range and a high level of determination and dedication. The charity’s skilled team are all highly passionate and dedicated to the charity’s purpose to make a difference and enrich lives through inclusive activity.

The CEO has a M asters D egree from Kings College/RADA in Text & Performance and a Degree in Philosophy with Literature from Sussex University. She also holds a Studio Professional Diploma in Fitness and Postgraduate Diploma in Publishing & Printing form the London College of Printing. Prior to Synergy she has managed The Alpine Cub Photo Library with George Band – (1953 Everest Expedition), worked in book publishing for Usborne books Kingfisher, Dorling Kindersley and Which? and within the entertainment industry as an actress for the BBC (The Life of Dickens/Peter Ackroyd) and other film projects including Bond/Skyfall.

She is very ambitious and has led the Charity to be nominated and win many awards – see below. She is a great advocate of continuous learning and development leading the Synergy team to grow and empower the charity to meet the ever-increasing demand for services.

We are committed to maintaining high standards in governance and accountability, especially safeguarding and equal opportunities, and we carefully monitor and evaluate the impact of our work. All staff and volunteers are trained in safeguarding and DBS checked to an enhanced level. The Board connects regularly during the year (with attendance on some occasions from outside members or experts). The Board retains control of all statutory matters including the Charity Commission and oversees risk management with help from Consultancies and partners. During the pandemic, meetings have been virtual via Zooms.

Objectives and activities

The principal activity of the Outreach charity is to promote physical and mental health and wellbeing through lifelong participation in dance, fitness, yoga and related wellbeing activities for all, where neither finance, fitness, ability, disability or family circumstance are barriers to participation, as highlighted in our summary. We aim to remove barriers by providing accessible and innovative dance and related activities for children and young people, adults, seniors, people experiencing disadvantage and those affected by SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities).

We are a Surrey based registered CIO charity, governed by 3 trustees providing specialist dance, yoga, pilates, singing and fitness to SEND participants. Our classes work with smaller groups and SEND trained teachers, essential for more specialist classes and also provide digital delivery for our service users. We are all inclusive and deliver a growing range of programs for special educational needs and the disability community – from children and teens to adults and seniors.

Removing barriers to exercise for disadvantaged groups

We aim to remove barriers by providing accessible and innovative dance, yoga and movement activities for:

Children

The disability community, including visually impaired, blind and the deaf community/hard of hearing

We encourage inactive people to become active; bring people together to regularly participate in fun activities; and improve people’s wellbeing.

We aim to combat:

Outreach classes provide structure to participants’ weekly routines and offer something they can look forward to. Our activities meet local needs and help to reduce health inequalities.

Our mission and values

We support the disability and SEN community to thrive and help people to be their best selves. With Synergy no one is left behind!

It is Outreach’s policy to pursue the highest possible standards in governance and accountability – and especially in Safeguarding and Equal Opportunities.

We carefully monitor and evaluate the impact of our work and use our local networks to discreetly join up disadvantaged children, young people and families with community and voluntary sector support. We link with appropriate agencies, focus groups and partners, where this can further aid participants who have multiple complex health issues.

Co-production with service users

In order to achieve our aims, we actively listen to the communities we serve to ensure we deliver what they want and need. We regularly consult with, and involve users in connection with the design, themes, content and delivery of services. We often cross-over genres (such as dance/yoga/Pilates) in one class, and we combine themes – for example Zombies and Cheerleading, Breakdance & Street, Ballet and Musical Theatre; to make classes more appealing. The fun and games constitute ‘exercise in disguise’!

Our charitable objectives

Synergy Dance® Outreach stands out for our diverse range of inclusive on-site and digital activities and for our ability to reach out to all children and adults who can benefit from exercise.

We support the following goals:

Our impact

We ensure that Synergy Dance® Outreach follows the aims below and is committed to the following objectives:

Improve community cohesion and reduce isolation: our projects provide access to recreational opportunities that might otherwise be closed to communities – they supply scope for learning, personal development and friendship-making and support the public by building confidence and group work skills. Many of our projects focus on families in poverty: this group now stands at 10% of our beneficiaries, an increase of 2.2% compared with 2015 according to Surrey County Council.

In summary…

No material changes in policy have occurred since the last report. The Trustees confirm that they have referred to the guidance contained in the Charity Commission's revised general guidance on public benefit when reviewing the Charity's aims and objectives and in planning the future activities. The Trustees consider the current activities as detailed in this report to deliver public benefit.

Demand for Synergy Dance® Outreach services

Demand for our services is continually increasing Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, London and Essexwide and now nationally. Reports show 2,000+ children are registered disabled and 75,217 people have a physical disability in Surrey alone. Multiple barriers prevent disabled people from being active; some even fear losing benefits if seen as being ‘active’ (Activity Alliance, 2018).

Service users continue to need varied activities to continue at home in order to keep active, reduce stress and anxiety – especially the most vulnerable and those with SEND. We are working hard to expand vital virtual delivery of dance, yoga and fitness programmes to meet local and national need.

We put those with long-term health conditions and SEND at the centre of our approach, enabling participants to maintain flexibility, muscle strength and wellbeing whilst seated at home. This reduces stress, aids relaxation and helps to boost the immune system. We offer special seated classes for participants in wheelchairs, those with a LTHC and seniors.

Everyone Active partnership

Everyone Active partner with us to offer our all-inclusive online platform classes to their members. These classes went out free to over 200 Everyone Active leisure sites nationally during the pandemic – potentially reaching audiences of up to 200,000 during lockdown (funded by Sport England/National Lottery).

Providing choice

Our hybrid service offer includes both online and in-person delivery: moving forward we are providing more choice and accessibility than was available pre-Covid. We have come a long way in just 12 months but with the disability sector accounting for 14 million people there is demand for us to do so much more!

Health statistics

Current statistics in the UK indicate that there are over 11 million people with a limiting long-term illness, impairment or disability, with prevalence rising with age. Around 6% of children are disabled, compared to 16% of working age adults and 45% of adults over state pension age.

A substantially higher proportion of individuals who occupy families with disabled members live in poverty, compared to households where no one is disabled: 19% of individuals in families with at least one disabled member live in relative poverty, compared to 15% of individuals in families with no disabled member.

Obesity and inactivity were on the rise even before the coronavirus crisis. In 2017, 30% of children aged 2–15 in England were overweight or obese and 65% of adults were in that category. Many children and adults are not getting their recommended one hour of activity a day.

Our inclusive and colourful activities are getting kids moving as well as adults.

Outreach and mental health

We support the one in four people who experience a mental health problem. In 2017, one in eight children and young people aged 5–19 had at least one mental health disorder.

The pandemic has caused an even greater challenge for those already living with mental health problems. Anxiety, self-harming and depression are on the rise, and many will be feeling even more anxious after unprecedented challenges in the last 2 years.

In 2021–22 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) referrals for teenagers were at an all-time high and schools were struggling to cope with the number of affected children. Today, mental health issues amongst young people are at an all-time high as we come out of the pandemic.

Mental health charities now fear the pandemic has caused a long-term mental health crisis given the prevalence of job losses, fear, anxiety and bereavements. In addition, some Covid-19 survivors struggle with debilitating long-term effects (‘Long Covid’).

Our current goals

We at Synergy aim to encourage diverse activities for the disability and SEND community; to work together with other charities and organisations; and to provide fit-for-purpose and inspiring activities for our beneficiaries.

We have an excellent track record: demand for our services is continually increasing and we monitor and evaluate all our work.

Our key objective is to address the social problems of poor mental health, social isolation and obesity. We promote the recommended one hour of activity per day and allow our service users to keep fit at home in innovative ways both during Covid-19 and beyond.

Our beneficiaries

Outreach is unique because it is fully inclusive, with classes for everyone including:

Reserves

Due to the pandemic we had to stop all in-person delivery causing an immediate cessation of income from these services. This affected our reserves as we had invoices to pay and sudden complete loss of revenue streams for reserves. In 2020 we promptly took action to build our depleted reserves and took out a Bounce Back loan for £9,000, strictly for reserves to meet our commitment to restricted funds and adequate reserves to keep the charity robust. The charity is fully sustainable as we have this buffer. We have been challenged by the lack of onsite revenue to support unrestricted reserves during Covid. Trustees are already planning many more fundraising activities.

We have taken appropriate steps to help ensure reserves if necessary and the charity had already begun to work on changing to online delivery before the end of April to ensure sustainability. Our fundraising activities will also continue to expand but have been limited during the last financial year due to limited resources.

Multi award winning charity

Achievements and performance

As seen on TV…

Featured on Strictly Come Dancing for inclusive dance activities for children in 2021.

See : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXTg6n4SD-k

Exposure to 11 million viewers led to unprecedented demand for our SEND activities in the UK. View impact here: https://fb.watch/aok3dBVMAt/ - - - - - Find out more: https://synergydance.co.uk/synergy dance on strictly come dancing/ The Finals: https://lnkd.in/eQx7Wnjg

Synergy works with the BBC/BBC Radio Surrey & provides commentary on Strictly Come Dancing/inclusive dance.

= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v ViTIcDa5lQ4 - - - - - - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/rachael hurton 5592062b_synergy dance online activity 7011269952494051328--7Yo?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop Founder and CEO Rachael Hurton was also named and featured as “Entrepreneur of the Month” - Platinum Business magazine - May 2020. This was for our fast reaction to the Covid Crisis.

We stand out for delivering a hybrid model of online and in-person activities for CYP throughout the UK. We partner with Everyone Active for national distribution of our inclusive digital workouts. We have 57 partners and supply a growing number of SEND schools.

The impact of Covid-19

At Synergy Dance® Outreach as lockdowns hit, we adapted, evolved and innovated our style of delivery to target those groups who needed it most. We were already supplying the SEND community with classes. Our goal was to promote good physical and mental health and wellbeing through accessible and innovative activities online for our core groups. So, we employed progressive, pre-recorded classes which can be played and repeated at any time, at the user’s convenience.

As a charity we faced many challenges due to the Covid-19 crisis. The biggest was losing our ability to deliver the extensive in-person group delivery sessions we were supplying across Surrey before the pandemic. Meanwhile we encountered increasing demand and continued growth.

All income from in-person delivery had to stop in March 2020 due to Covid-19-related restrictions. This affected our staff and our much-needed services which supported our service users. We worked incredibly hard during the pandemic to meet this challenge by producing accessible online programmes which continue to support our clients (both new and current) and provide new work for our delivery staff.

During the pandemic, we delivered online classes to ensure we continued to best meet our beneficiaries’ needs. We are raising funds to grow this vital online delivery to meet ever-increasing demand – and to build up our service for the deaf community/those with hearing loss. Our diverse range of new online courses helped to keep our teachers engaged and in work – and will continue to do so.

Our online classes specifically target isolation and improve physical and mental health and wellbeing. During the Covid-19 crisis we provided courses for children, teens, adults and seniors – who may choose from dance, yoga, fitness, Pilates and meditation courses to keep fit, stay social and active and we have developed this delivery during the last year.

The Covid-19 crisis prevented us from running all our usual activities including classes in sports centres. We are now back to running all our activities for SEND schools, Outreach centres, care homes and day centres for older people.

The benefits of continuing our services online include ensuring that people feel part of a community and have something positive to look forward to.

Continuing these services will also make a huge difference to Outreach as a charity by enabling us to build our own resilience, and to continue providing work for our instructors.

The social toll of Covid

Our service users are people who are already marginalised and vulnerable due to having special educational needs, disabilities, long-term health conditions, age and infirmity. It has been widely reported that these groups have suffered even more due to the Covid-19 crisis and many of our CYP had long periods off school.

Most people with additional needs and health challenges cannot easily exercise by walking, running or cycling and our On Demand courses offer them so much choice to explore ways of keeping fit. Many people have lost work and more people are struggling financially with the cost-of-living crisis, which adds to feelings of stress, anxiety and poor mental health. Many parents who are in employment are struggling trying to care for children at home whilst working.

Our provision is specially designed and aimed at helping these people to improve both their physical and mental health and wellbeing in an accessible way.

It is vital that we provide activities to enable the disability community to continue to exercise, relax and keep fit safely at home. We are very thankful for grants that supported our objectives and projects in the last year, as listed in our financial report.

Through an online portal, not only are we helping those disadvantaged people in communities to improve their mental and physical health and wellbeing, but we are also helping community cohesion. Our group and live sessions build a sense of togetherness to help reduce feelings of isolation, the most topical challenge for us.

Our on demand delivery is proving popular with under-represented groups due to its broad accessibility. By delivering our courses online we are already reaching five times the normal number of participants. Areas of growth this year are sensory workouts for the blind and visually impaired, and subtitled workouts for those with hearing loss.

Beyond the Covid-19 challenges

Demand continues for new, varied activities to continue at home to keep active, and reduce stress and anxiety. In particular we are able to reach the most vulnerable and isolated participants, who cannot easily attend on site activities.

Sport England’s weekly tracker showed that people with long-term health conditions, those with disabilities and older people (55+) were more likely to worry about leaving home to exercise or be active. This demonstrates the change in people’s motivation and behaviour and the onset of widening inequalities during and beyond Covid-19.

Many people are still struggling with their mental health and anxiety post pandemic. They feel vulnerable and afraid, and carers are also struggling to support this group; day care and special schools are often unavailable, and people may have to juggle teaching siblings and working from home. By taking our programmes online, we have increased our reach to as many of our target audiences as possible: they can now take part, on demand at home.

Onsite classes for the SEND community

As a charity we have found there is also a great demand to produce many more tailored classes to specifically meet the different needs of different service users e.g. different age groups and different conditions and different needs – hence our diverse range of courses for a wide range of ages which is ever expanding.

How we work: the community accessing our services

The people using our services are mainly from the disability and SEN community and those with long-term health conditions. We are here to help with:

What we provide

Our Synergy Dance® Outreach classes reach people who currently experience numerous barriers to participation.

Working to adapt and expand vital delivery, we have designed ParaStars Yoga® and ParaStars Dance™ – new Synergy programs to meet the particular needs of our audience. Classes – including seated ones – may be delivered virtually, enabling participants to maintain flexibility, muscle strength and wellbeing at home.

Sessions:

Reduce stress Aid relaxation Help to boost the immune system

Our key objectives are to:

Classes for seniors

We work with many older people in the community and in residential care homes. They appreciate our singing, and seated dance and yoga classes which help them keep fit, maintain balance and stay mentally alert. We subsidize these classes where possible, so we can continue to provide our much-loved services at low cost.

Where we work

Oxfordshire, West Lindsey, East Anglia and national digital reach, Leatherhead, Dorking, Guildford, Haslemere, Woking, Weybridge, Stoughton, Walton, Chertsey, Ash, Sunbury, Godstone, Horley, Reigate, Redhill and Maidstone, London, Farncombe, Hindhead, Liverpool and Trafford.

Founded in Guildford as a small not-for-profit enterprise in 2017, we have grown at a rapid rate and now think big. In Surrey alone, we have been active in Leatherhead, Dorking, Guildford, Haslemere, Woking, Weybridge, Stoughton, Walton, Chertsey, Ash, Reigate, Redhill and Horley – supporting the disability community and SEN children to enjoy exercise and overcome marginalisation.

Also in Surrey, we work with The Hive, the Matrix Trust, Challengers, the Surrey Coalition of Disabled People and Sight for Surrey – all organisations which put their service users first and relish our refreshing dance and movement classes.

Seniors enjoy our upbeat sessions which encourage relaxation and memory recall. Local care homes we have been active at include Broadwater Lodge, Claremont, Queen Elizabeth Park, Farncombe Day Centre and Signature at Moorlands Lodge.

Further afield, we have partnered with like-minded organisations to bring our unique programmes to new groups of service users. We worked jointly with FND Hope for those with neurological disorders in Oxfordshire, while Cube Disability Kids which supports children with learning disabilities in Northamptonshire welcomed our classes.

In London, Save the Children have supported us and spread the word among their beneficiaries. Meanwhile Blind Aid, also based in the capital, have liaised with our talented instructors to provide themed classes for clients with impaired sight. In West Yorkshire, we have supported WY CANN’s mission to help children with additional needs. And we have worked hand in hand with the Brain Charity to help ameliorate the over 600 conditions affecting the brain, spine and nervous system.

We attained national reach and felt we had truly arrived when we joined forces with Everyone Active. This well-known, large exercise chain has supplied our on demand classes country-wide, and through their platforms we have been able to reach hundreds of thousands of people, including providing succour during the pandemic. Meanwhile our fruitful collaboration with Whizz-Kidz, who supply wheelchairs and mobility equipment, has seen Synergy Dance® Outreach represented at their activities and events. And British Blind Sport have taken up our special classes for those with visual impairment across the country. We are delighted with our current partners and look forward to the next challenge in 2023! Many more partners are TBA.

SEND Schools

The Link School, Carew Academy, Bensham Manor, Cornfield School, Portesbury School, Strathmore School, Abbey School, Freemantles School, Woodfield School, Linden Bridge, Foxgrove School, Bushy Hill, Blossom House School, Pond Meadows School, Gosden House School, Clifton Hill School, Send C of E Primary School and Dysart School.

Our year and beyond

We are proud to support inclusive and creative activities for all children, teens, adults and the elderly. For our new digital programs, we are unique in providing a diverse range of inclusive activities for CYP, adults and seniors, with a wide range of 700+ pre-recorded classes for CYP with SEND & LTHCs, Visually Impaired/Blind, the Deaf Community, wheelchair participants, mental health conditions and NHS referrals. These are being shared nationally by Everyone Active and many other charities are sharing these workouts with their members – see section on partners below.

Our teachers reach children and teens experiencing disadvantage and marginalisation, including SEND in their local areas in Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, London, Essex and beyond.

Where possible, we provide inclusive, heavily subsidized activities, affordable for all. Our inclusive activities will expand globally with new partners TBA.

We also plan to franchise and have launched our first licensee in Essex. We have partnered with other leisure chains, charities, councils, trusts and schools to deliver activities.

Our professionally recorded activities target conditions including physical disabilities (congenital & acquired), wheelchair participants, mental health issues & neurological conditions.

Eg: https://vimeo.com/776286671/39a50570f2

We are unique in providing activities that overcome all the barriers to exercise and meet recommendations to combat inactivity and poor mental health.

"Wow! What a success!! Phoebe loved it and can't wait for next week. I am thrilled because I think it's the perfect thing for her."

We stand out because we are leading the way in inclusive digital fitness and serve diverse groups of CYP.

We are passionate about providing children with opportunities & have engaged with many families from low socio-economic groups.

Increased reach

Synergy Dance® Outreach has experienced fast growth this year, but enabling funding to do all we aspire to for our service users has proved challenging. The charity has improved by pivoting to go digital, reaching children and adults who would otherwise not have access to fit for purpose activities and we have joined forces with more partners to reach specialist audiences.

In the last year, Synergy has grown from being a regional charity in Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire & London to extending to a national reach of 11 Million via TV exposure on Strictly Come Dancing and audiences in the next year of up to 200,000 for our digital delivery shared via Everyone Active. We have also branched out into Essex. The number of SEND schools we supply has increased by 50%. SEND communities especially favour the flexibility of practising dance & yoga activities at home when transport & resources can be a barrier to taking part.

Our new digital platform of online pre-recorded dance, fitness, pilates and yoga lessons, enabled Synergy Dance® Outreach to grow delivery of our online programmes, enabling many more people of all ages, abilities and social groups, to access inclusive activities, that are proven to improve their mental and physical health and wellbeing.

Our high quality and innovative lessons are changing lives: “The platform is full of amazing content to help keep the nation active with a focus on Yoga and Dance for individuals with SEN, Visual Impairments, Long Term Health Conditions, other disabilities”: Shelley Meyern, Head of Operations, EMD UK.

Synergy Outreach is offering a connected, omnichannel fitness experience that meets the high expectations of children, parents, schools & leisure providers, helping them to keep dancing long term.

https://synergy-dance-online.teachable.com/courses

COVERAGE IN THE MEDIA

Strictly Come Dancing

We were chosen by the BBC to appear on Strictly Come Dancing & the Final for our diverse range of inclusive activities & our ability to reach all children who can benefit from exercise. This was for a specific project funded by Children In Need.

Strictly shared our children’s SEND classes at Guildford Spectrum: https://vimeo.com/664702396/cb84ea306f

This TV coverage led to a lot of publicity and raised awareness of our inclusive services throughout the UK. As a charity we were able to reach a national audience of 11 million people and global tv coverage, and we have since had unprecedented demand for our online and onsite classes for children and adults.

View impact here from public comments: https://fb.watch/aok3dBVMAt/ - - - - - Find out more: https://synergydance.co.uk/synergy dance on strictly come dancing/ The Finals: https://youtu.be/j3CxRRFBfjo

Synergy Dance® Outreach on Strictly: https://youtu.be/j3CxRRFBfjo

This meant the world to our students, teachers, parents and carers:

“Thank you to all the wonderful dance teachers at Synergy, our kids truly have lots of love for all of you, and we appreciate what you do.” (Hooda).

“Sam gave it his all on the day and was so excited and proud to have been a part of it all. He misses out on so many opportunities, parties, events due to his challenges so to be a part of this has meant so much to him and us." (Justine)

Increased demand for activities and Strictly Come Dancing

Since our TV exposure on Strictly Come Dancing, demand in Surrey for our services has more than quadrupled, and as we strive to meet this new demand for onsite classes, especially for children and young people – we can offer the digital experience to larger numbers with ease and are continuing to work with partners to distribute these to wider audiences. Please refer to the documents at the end of this report for more feedback, case studies and testimonials.

Radio interviews on BBC Radio Surrey:

Synergy has built an ongoing relationship with the BBC which will continue & the Charity CEO, Rachael Hurton, speaks regularly on BBC Radio Surrey, which has further raised the charity’s profile & reach.

CEO Commentary on Strictly Come Dancing:

BBC Radio Surrey

Week One: https://youtu.be/j3CxRRFBfjo - Week Two: https://youtu.be/jqH2cA mdKU Week Three: https://youtu.be/pNfQ1qxaGNo Week Four: https://youtu.be/OoPDP9mZG8c Week Five: https://youtu.be/4OjSbPlqUfo The Finals: https://youtu.be/j3CxRRFBfjo The benefits of dance: https://youtu.be/Hk58KcMefrM https://youtu.be/BsEXfBTknWk https://youtu.be/o13FPUZFa-M

RNIB RADIO

Our CEO – also speaks on RNIB radio regarding our Audio dance and yoga classes for the Visually impaired and blind.

Synergy Dance® Outreach has an active presence on social media utilising Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google Business, Twitter and YouTube.

https://synergydanceoutreach.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/SynergyDanceOutreach/

https://www.instagram.com/synergydanceoutreach/

https://twitter.com/SynergyDanceOut

All of our activities are backed by wide-ranging marketing campaigns and there will be opportunities for brand alignment and superb alignment with high-profile activities such as our exposure on Strictly Come Dancing and Children In Need on TV.

Expansion of digital delivery

Our inclusive platform has enabled us to reach new customers on a national level in the UK and beyond.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5X8-rdbWpE

- - dance online.teachable.com synergy

We aim to inspire more accessible inclusive digital activity in the UK & globally with our new digital platform for inclusive workouts.

“My name is Sabine, I am a blind woman of 44. I discovered your project a few months ago and downloaded the dancing course for blind adults. I find this initiative fascinating and I think it would be great if it could be replicated”.

You can listen to the impact we have made on one yoga participant here: - - https://synergy dance online.teachable.com/p/testimonials

Feedback, Case Studies and Testimonials

We have received compelling feedback about what we are delivering, how it is changing lives and people wanting more (see testimonials attached at the end of this report). We are also listening to feedback and what service users say would benefit them the most.

Demand for our services is continually increasing in Surrey and beyond and Nationwide. Reports show 2000+ children are registered disabled & 75,217 people have a physical disability in Surrey, more vulnerable & further isolated due to their conditions & shielding at home during COVID so unable to go out to exercise.

GEORGE’S STORY – see end of this report.

KATHRYN’S STORY

I started working for Synergy Dance® Outreach in June 2020, as an Admin Assistant. I applied for the role because after losing my cousin, and best friend Jade to suicide, who was blind, and often felt excluded, I was amazed by the charities’ aims and ambitions to ensure the disability community never had to feel, how my cousin felt.

Throughout my time here, I have been promoted several times and I am now known as the Marketing and Digital Project Manager.

Since working for Synergy Dance® Outreach I have helped, and implemented new procedures and worked alongside Rachael, the charities’ Founder to make waves in the world of inclusive fitness and what an incredible journey it has been.

From editing and building an online inclusive fitness platform to speaking with parents and hearing their stories, it has been a rollercoaster of emotions and a journey I am so lucky and privileged to have been a part of and to continue to be a part of.

You see, Synergy Dance® Outreach isn’t just a dance company and we certainly aren’t just employees. We are a family, all fighting for a positive change and all fighting to be heard. Synergy Dance® Outreach has not only given me a voice and helped me achieve things I never thought I would, but it’s given parents and most importantly children a voice and a safe space to express themselves and move forward through their own journeys.

For me, Synergy Dance® Outreach has had a huge impact on my life and gives me great job satisfaction. Because what’s better than waking up every day knowing that you’ve made a child, parent, adult, teen, or senior who once felt excluded feel included and feel like they are part of something bigger than what’s been holding them back.

There is no greater joy than knowing YOU have helped someone regain their confidence, movement, self-worth, voice, speech, smile and more.

I can’t wait to see what journey Synergy Dance® Outreach takes me on next, and I can’t wait to watch and be a part of the future growth and the positive change that Synergy is going to have around the world.

Always remember, what we take for granted such as opening a door, walking to the shop, watching a show on TV, hearing someone laugh or seeing a friend/child smile, others are praying for. So, always be thankful for what you have and be the change you want to see – be more like Synergy Dance® Outreach and the hardworking team that has helped make change possible.

Mary Ungoed Thomas - volunteer

As a freelance editor and writer working on the website of Synergy Dance® Outreach it has been my pleasure to provide blogs and crowdfunding text to the organisation. Synergy does amazing work with its beneficiaries, and I have been glad to spread the word through carefully targeted text and communications across different channels. I hope I can continue to support Synergy with my skills in 2023!

Laura – volunteer

Just a little note to say that Laura did the class today and thoroughly enjoyed it. Many of the children remembered her from Strictly!

Thank you to Ren, Katie and the children for making her feel so welcome as a volunteer and she really looks forward to helping at more of these classes once she’s done some with Harry. All the best, Helen.

Rowan’s story

Before Synergy yoga, R. had no current activity and experience of dance, yoga and exercise classes – and this was in danger of stopping during Covid-19 restrictions. She is registered blind and lives in Surrey. R especially likes yoga. With frequent visits to hospital, it provides both her mother Beth, and R, some respite from the stresses of struggling with a long-term illness and isolation. By pivoting online, when all activities had stopped, R was able to keep going with zooms and online courses:

"I love doing yoga with Gill. It is so nice to be able to do a club that is welcoming and accessible to me. It always calms me down at the end of a long school day. It has also helped with balance and flexibility and I’ve noticed this has helped me in everyday activities and also with the adaptive rowing I like to do. Gill is really good at explaining what to do verbally and is really nice and friendly. She thinks of ways to adapt exercises if I find them a bit difficult or am a bit too wobbly.” (Rowan)

R had a tough time during the pandemic – she was only able to attend school for two weeks and spent the rest of the time isolating – she likes to do a lot of activities but they all stopped. She also caught Long Covid – all from a brief encounter with a neighbour. Yoga online kept her going and she found she relied less and less on the teacher.

Partners and collaborations

Synergy Dance® Outreach is working with a wide range of partners to help us to reach everyone who can benefit from inclusive activities.

Our recent partners include Para Dance UK, British Blind Sport, Surrey Choices, Active Surrey, Active Essex, Active Sussex, Blind Aid, EMD UK, The Brian Charity, FND Hope UK, Yes I Can, WYCANN, Croydon Vision, Surrey Young Carers, Disability Challengers, The Surrey Coalition of Disabled People, The Bobath Centre, GAMMA, Save The Children, Linkable, Children’s homes, Disability Cube, Broadwater Lodge Care Home, Claremont Care Home, Signature Moorlands Care Home Surrey, The Matrix Trust, Guildford Spectrum, Action for Carers, Surrey Youth Games, Limb Power, Whizz Kids, Everyone Active, Places for People Leisure, Freedom Leisure, care homes, SEND schools and leisure centres. BBC Radio Surrey, RNIB Radio, Club Hub UK & many more organisations. Our partnership with Limbpower will be discussed in the next annual report.

As a charity we are keen to partner and collaborate with organisations both in the UK and globally, to reach as many children and young people as possible with our inclusive activities.

Partners value our support too:

“Your continued support during these ongoing and very uncertain times has positively changed so many Visually Impaired people’s lives. Your partnership and continued hard work have provided plenty of opportunities for the VI Community to get physically active and will do as we move into the new year. Secondly, I wanted to say how grateful and appreciative British Blind Sport are for all your hard work. I thoroughly look forward to continuing to develop our partnership”. David Melville, British Blind Sport.

Partners and collaborations

This year we have reached out to more partners and charities, and national partnerships have enabled our inclusive activities to reach much wider audiences. Our online pre-recorded classes enabled us to offer a unique opportunity to distribute high quality inclusive workouts to large audiences, where everyone is included, for participants with disabilities, Visual Impairments, Special Educational Needs & Long Term Health Conditions and those with hearing loss. (See sections on FND Hope, Save the Children, British Blind Sport below). Our work for Children In Need also continued with both online and on site delivery. Featured on Strictly Come Dancing for inclusive dance and our work with children and young people - we are making waves.

As a charity, we offer a fully inclusive health & wellbeing solution that supports & motivates new and existing people, who are typically inactive, to be more physically active. We are also helping to support a growing number of people with LTHC of all ages and support social prescribing referrals. We continued to support care homes, education and schools, leisure centres, Outreach centres, charities, trusts and local communities.

We offer the OPPORTUNITY - To target inactive groups in supporting the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018 - 2030.

In the UK alone, there are 14.1 million disabled people, 8% are children, 19% are working age adults, and 45% are of pension age. (Scope charity)

Nearly 1 in 5 have some form of disability.

WELLBEING - Our programmes target well-being and help less active groups to stay fit and healthy.

SOCIAL - Support social inclusion and help diverse communities to belong in fitness.

DIVERSITY – We are reaching diverse audiences with enrichment activities to boost wellbeing and diversity of choice for typically inactive groups.

Worldwide, 1 in 5 adults, and 4 out of 5 adolescents (1117 years), do not do enough physical activity. (WHO) Insufficient physical activity is associated with 1 in 6 deaths in the UK.

Our digital delivery and online courses enabled our beneficiaries to keep going with exercise – this has made a difference because taking part in physical activity is proven to relieve stress, improve mental health and boost the immune system. We have also provided bespoke regular live Zooms to British Blind Sport, FND Hope UK, Save the Children, GAMMA, SEND schools and via our Dance Party Live classes via Facebook.

By attending structured lessons online, our service users are able to maintain regular routines and fitness, including dance/exercise routines and relaxation techniques. For people with visual impairments, special needs or disabilities this is really important – especially for those with autistic spectrum conditions who depend on structure and routine.

We ensured people felt part of a community, participating in something together and having something positive to look forward to. It has also made a huge difference to Synergy as a charity by enabling us to build our own resilience, improve our equipment and delivery and to produce better quality programmes.

Over 75% of our service users said they want to exercise but face barriers, with ‘lack of motivation’ being the single biggest challenge in starting and staying active.

We have managed to positively impact the lives of those less motivated to exercise.

The extended reach from our digital offerings means we can do more to motivate members in between any on-site activity, and to help maintain their exercise habit.

At Synergy we are going through a total reimagination of the exercise journey and how we measure engagement. Beyond simple sign ups, we also look holistically at home workouts to accurately assess member engagement. We take action to enhance this and provide service users with a total wellness solution within the SEND community.

We know that many people with SEND, long-term health conditions or who are recovering from illness want to do some sort of exercise but need guidance and motivation, and so our classes are specifically tailored to meet these needs. Enrolment is super easy, and participants can stop/start their workouts and take part in exercise when it is convenient for them without the pressures of cost, travel and time out to attend an exercise programme.

In 2017, 30% of children aged 2 to 15 in England were overweight or obese and 65% of adults.

Worldwide, 1 in 5 adults, and 4 out of 5 adolescents (11-17 years), do not do enough physical activity.

Many children and adults are not getting their one hour of activity a day. Our inclusive and colourful activities

are getting kids moving as well as adults and seniors.

1 in 4 people experience a mental health problem in any given year and in 2017: 1 in 8 -12.8% of children and young people aged 5 to 19 had at least one mental health disorder.

Girls, women, older adults, poorer people and people with disabilities and chronic diseases, marginalised ~~Synergy Dance~~ populations and indigenous people have fewer opportunities to be active.

Physical inactivity is in the top 5 noncommunicable disease risk factors for mortality in high income countries. Source: WHO Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018-2030.

The flexibility of our online workouts has also enabled siblings and other family members to join in participants’ fitness routines. It’s important for families to have shared experiences and exercising as a family is even more fun!

Participants grow their confidence and report less reliance on the teacher for instructions as they progress through their courses.

We’ve created super fun activities, using imagination – such as inviting children to bring their favourite toy or prop to their dance lesson. By using children’s props in themed routines, we are more interactive and help kids to be a part of the experience.

By being inclusive: we are helping to address the rising problem of inactivity

44%

1 in 3 (34%) men are not active enough for good health.

Almost 1 in 2 (42%) women are not active enough for good health.

1 in 5 (21%) men are classed as physically inactive.

1 in 4 (25%) women are classed as physically inactive.

44% of disabled adults are physically inactive.

Only 34% of men and 24% of women undertake musclestrengthening activities at least twice a week.

Insufficient physical activity is associated with:

Regular physical activity with Synergy Dance® provides a range of physical, mental health & social benefits, many of which are increasing issues for individuals, communities and society, reducing the risk of many long-term conditions.

Our workouts are:

Seniors

We also work with a lot of older people in the community and residential care homes. They love our singing and seated dance and yoga classes which can help them keep fit, maintain balance. The people accessing our services are mainly people from the disability community and those with long term health conditions who are struggling with mental health, anxiety, depression and feeling isolated including, those with special educational needs, autistic spectrum conditions, visual impairments, long term health conditions (LTHCs) and parents and carers of these children, young people and adults and also older people.

Our new seated programmes, ParaStars Yoga® and ParaStars Dance™ for seniors support long term health conditions, and seniors at home or in residential care settings.

For our in-person delivery, our singing and dance classes can help them keep fit, maintain balance to help prevent falls and really helps memory and to alleviate depression, “bringing joy” to what is often a mundane existence. Many of the care homes we serve had budgets cuts this year and cannot afford regular classes and so we raise funds to help subsidise classes so we can continue to provide these much-loved services to elderly people who often feel cut off, with rather infrequent visits. Our Sing for Joy and Dance for Joy programmes are helping to provide enrichment in care homes, day centres and Outreach centres.

There is also the need for musical enrichment and company for older people, especially those with Alzheimer’s and Dementia. We encourage inactive people to become active, bring marginalised people together to regularly participate in fun activity improving fitness and wellbeing and helping to combat isolation.

They especially liked the ParaStars Yoga® for Seniors workouts because it is low impact and works on posture and stiff limbs, which are often a problem after a fall. Outreach classes provide structure in participant’s weekly routines, the opportunity to socialise with peers, encourage greater independence and something to look forward to, also providing activities meeting local need and helping to reduce health inequalities. We have expanded Sing for Joy and also introduced ParaStars Yoga® and ParaStars Dance® into care homes online via one of our partnerships.

We have helped participants to build, maintain and improve confidence – the workouts have improved general wellbeing and reduced feelings of stress and frustration at being confined to home – participants were able to do classes daily and repeat if they wished several times a day. Many children and young people with VI and SEND had the option to repeatedly take part in our fun and calming routines really improving fitness and wellbeing.

Positive changes from our delivery

THANK YOU

In the last year the charity has received much needed support from Sport England, The Together Fund, EMD UK, Children In Need, Active Surrey, The Community Foundation for Surrey, Awards for All, Charles Hayward Foundation, Sylken, True Colours, Guildford Borough Council, The National Lottery and Postcode Community Trust. The purpose driving us is to make a difference and reach as many people as possible who can benefit from our inclusive delivery.

Yearly highlights! Our activity and partners…..

LinkAble

LinkAble in Woking supports disabled clients to live their best lives. Their classes for children and adults include sensory activities, day trips and performance opportunities.

Synergy Dance® Outreach has provided the charity with all male Zumba classes for people with learning disabilities. Zumba employs Latin American music for an innovative, energetic workout that suits participants of all abilities. Those taking part increase strength and cardiovascular fitness and have fun!

FND Hope UK

This charity is the world’s only patient-led organisation for people with Functional Neurological Disorder. They provide support, raise awareness and advance research into the disease.

In tune with the charity’s goal of empowering individuals, Synergy Dance® Outreach supplies therapeutic online yoga and pilates classes for members. Flexible on demand classes suit clients at times of their choosing. Participants showed improved coordination and agility and benefited from health advantages including better balance and spatial awareness.

Broadwater Lodge Care Home

Broadwater Lodge is an award-winning care home for older people in Godalming. Most residents have dementia. They benefit from tailored therapies – the management believes that life is for living – and can tend the farm animals in the backyard!

Seated yoga funded by the Together Fund, Sport England and EMD UK has been provided by Outreach teachers to enliven the residents and spice up their routine. Participants in these Synergy classes have demonstrated improved relaxation and cardio and respiratory health, as well as increased flexibility and muscle tone.

Claremont Care Home

This establishment in Guildford offers residential, nursing and end of life care. Many residents have complex needs and staff endeavour to support a range of conditions. Birthdays and special occasions are celebrated in style! Synergy’s signature seated dance classes have recently wowed the residents at Claremont, bringing fun and improving participants’ agility. People with memory issues have responded positively to the engaging music and songs used in class.

Signature Moorlands care home Surrey

Residents at this care home benefit from highly trained and dedicated staff: bespoke care plans are drawn up to support people’s wellbeing. Those at the home have recently benefited from Synergy’s signature seated yoga class, which tackles chronic health conditions and encourages flexibility and strength. Classes have been funded by the Together Fund, Sport England and EMD UK. We have also been running our Sing for Joy program in the Dementia suite for the last few years.

The Matrix Trust

The Matrix Trust is a Christian trust in Guildford which exists to catalyze change for young people and help them make the most of their lives. Participants have experienced Synergy’s dynamic Street Dance lessons, exploring movement through funky music and cutting edge moves, and most importantly having fun. We are here to get youngsters moving!

Reigate and Redhill YMCA

Both help vulnerable children and adults to belong, contribute and thrive. The organisation fosters happy and healthy local communities. Synergy has been liaising with the YMCA to bring fun and accessible activities to their service users - our On Demand classes have been extremely popular.

Guildford Spectrum

This large leisure centre offers swimming, ice skating, bowling and fitness classes and we have partnered with them for 8 years. Synergy has championed inclusivity and diversity through providing dance and yoga classes here for children with SEND. An exciting annual SEND festival for schools also takes place here where many local SEN children attend. Children are taught by specially trained instructors who ensure that nobody is left behind.

BBC Children In Need/Strictly Come Dancing

Synergy was delighted to feature on these popular BBC programs, which took our reach to a national level. Filming in November and December 2021 spread the news about our mission and values, and the program featured many children and young people enjoying fun and innovative Synergy inclusive classes.

Save the Children

This charity’s mission is to keep children safe, healthy and learning. They provide aid in war situations and in the event of natural disasters such as the recent Turkey earthquake. Synergy have provided the organization with flexible online lessons, available on demand any time anywhere.

British Blind Sport

This organization campaigns for blind and visually impaired people to have the same opportunities in sport and recreation as those with sight. Synergy caters for this group’s needs and has supplied online yoga and Zoom workouts to the organization ever since the Pandemic. The charity has benefited from Synergy’s flexible pre-recorded sessions which can be provided at the user’s convenience and have subtitles for other sensory impairments.

Action for Carers

This Surrey-based organization helps carers with free information and provides advice and support groups. Synergy has supplied the charity with on demand dance and yoga sessions, providing catchy and uplifting music and movement for people of all abilities.

Surrey Young Carers

Children from Year 1 upwards who support parents with an illness, disability or mental ill health are served by this organization. Synergy has provided Surrey Young Carers with exciting dance and yoga sessions that stimulate the senses and bring a sense of relaxation. Street dance was a particular hit!

Active Surrey

Active Surrey helps people to be healthier and happier through promoting team sports and training. Synergy has supported their Surrey School Games, providing free activities for local schools. Participants challenge themselves when taking part in exciting, inclusive classes – and make friends.

Bridge Youth and Community Centre

This organization in Leatherhead engages with the local community and stages the Surrey Youth Games; Synergy has supplied free inclusive dance sessions which are suitable for all levels of ability.

Whizz-Kidz

This organization is the leading UK charity for young wheelchair users. As well as providing equipment, they also offer special activity and employability programs. For this ongoing partnership, Synergy has provided signature seated yoga and dance sessions which involve a full and fun workout from the waist up. We also supported an inclusive morning activities with a Senior Royal visitor - see our case study below.

Croydon Vision

This charity promotes the message that there is life after sight loss. They transform lives and make healthcare accessible. Synergy has been supplying Zoom classes and on-site activities that support those with visual impairment.

The Brain Charity

The Brain Charity supports people with neurological conditions (those affecting the brain, spinal cord or nervous system) and also assists family, friends and carers. For this organisation, Synergy has provided fun and relaxation with online Zoom classes.

The Bobath Centre

Cerebral palsy and similar conditions are the special remit of this charity. The organisation tailors activities to service user need and sets goals in conjunction with individuals and families. Our specially targeted online sessions which promote enjoyment and quality of life have been welcomed by the Bobath Centre.

Everyone Active

This organisation describes itself as the country’s number one activity destination. A large chain, it offers swimming, gyms and exercise classes in venues across the nation. Our on demand inclusive workouts have attained national reach through our fruitful collaboration with Everyone Active.

Places for People Leisure

The chain encourages access to physical sport with nationwide facilities and a virtual studio. Our on demand inclusive workouts for the Places Leisure App have become available nationally.

Freedom Leisure

Freedom Leisure operates over 100 leisure, cultural and entertainment venues throughout the UK. Synergy SEND holiday activities have been provided on site, enabling children with disabilities to enjoy keeping fit and make new friends.

Walton on Thames community centres

These council venues aim to promote an active and full life for elderly or disabled residents. The site has hosted our SEND dance group in the school holidays, enabling children to relax and unwind with our fun and enjoyable activities.

Woking Leisure Centre

Woking Leisure Centre aims to improve lives through leisure, providing inclusive and sustainable facilities that the whole community can enjoy. Synergy is proud to have provided SEND dance and movement classes for children and young people on site.

Cube Disability Kids

Founded in January 2021, this is Northamptonshire’s first dedicated dance and sport school for SEN children and their siblings. Synergy recently partnered with the organisation to provide Musical Theatre/Holiday workshops and shares its mission to promote and satisfy the needs of the disability community.

Partnership case study: A Royal Event with Whizz Kids!

Whizz Kids invited us to guest instruct seated yoga classes for an event in Surrey, attended by Sophie, Countess of Wessex. We partner with Whizz Kids to offer seated yoga and dance for children and young people.

We ran sessions for a small group in Godstone at their Surrey club session in the July. At the HRH event, we had around 11 young people in both groups we taught.

Both our organisations joined forces in Surrey to celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in December in the presence of Her Royal Highness Sophie the Countess of Wessex.

Thirty-five young people attended the teaching sessions in Godstone, accompanied by Whizz-Kidz staff, trustees and corporate partners. Sessions included Wheelchair Skills Training, Seated Yoga facilitated by Synergy Dance® Outreach, a drama workshop and an employability workshop.

Synergy’s signature yoga classes are designed to relieve stress and tension for those with disabilities. The benefits of the discipline include improved confidence and concentration, better breath control and relaxation due to gentle stretching and meditation. Synergy is proud to offer seated classes on demand so customers can exercise anytime, anywhere.

Her Royal Highness spoke to children in attendance including Charlie Oldfield-Bruton, 11, who suffers from a rare genetic syndrome. He was present to collect a new bespoke wheelchair and said, ‘It has power wheels so it will be much easier to get around in than my old wheelchair.’ Sophie Dearman, Whizz-Kidz’ volunteer officer, spoke about her determination to support other wheelchair users and their families.

One participant commented: ‘The Countess was really knowledgeable about disability and the challenges our young people face and was very easy to speak to. I understand she does some yoga in her own time.’

Sarah Pugh, chief executive of Whizz-Kidz, commented that the organisation aims to make a difference for young wheelchair users. Their vision is a society in which every young wheelchair user is mobile, enabled and included. Synergy Dance® Outreach shares these objectives and offers support to those with a wide range of disabilities – with Synergy no one is left behind!

This partnership and collaboration will continue in 2023. Would your organization benefit from Synergy Activities?

Find out more: admin@synergydance.co.uk

Feedback from the day: It went really well, thank you. The Countess was really knowledgeable about disability and the challenges our young people face and was very easy to speak to. I understand she does some yoga in her own time and joined in with Natalie’s session. Thank you so much for all your patience and cooperation with the organisation and to Natalie for running everything on the day. I know the young people really enjoyed the session!

Summer workshops at Guildford Spectrum

Over the summer we provided SEND workshops for children and young people in Guildford at Guildford Spectrum. We delivered both Musical Theatre workshops and SEND Dance and Movement workshops.

Participants from different backgrounds and abilities attended and built positive relationships, working together using imagination and creative skills. The theme for the Musical Theatre workshops was &Juliet the Musical and we invited Emily Chapman, Cube Kids Director, to guest teach for us with an industry pro. The Musical Theatre workshop was the first of its kind and we had a wide range of ages attending.

These Dance programmes were attended by CYP with SEND including autism, downs syndrome, and learning difficulties. Children and young people benefitted from building new friendships, trust within the group and networks with other families. Many had never tried Musical Theatre before, and they learned the steps very quickly!

The impact for the children who took part has been the continuation of activities outside school time – we were able to provide accessible out of school and holiday activity delivery for children & young people and the parents/carers enjoyed the experience too! We very much plan to expand on this type of delivery.

For SEND families the main reported outcomes were more confidence on the part of the CYP and the value of learning something new and inspiring - both to the children and the parents/carers.

Parents in Surrey and those on our steering committee have shared that holiday activities for children with SEND are still few and far between. Children benefited from the relaxed setting and opportunity to experience something new. Continuation in the holidays also enabled children to maintain regular routines, which is very important for those with additional needs.

The extra workshops helped to relieve stress, improved their mental health on the day and meant the children and young people were engaged in activity. The workshops also helped to support working parents and for those that stayed on, it was a shared experience of seeing their children learn and shine.

One particular “take home” finding was that Musical Theatre routines were very popular, and children liked to try activities that emulated adult creative dances.

The children's mental health and physical activities were both enhanced, in a safe environment, that supported well-being. We practiced a new routine several times and then performed the routine at the end of the session. We also provided some SEND workshops in Walton On Thames – to support local children with SEN to come together and dance.

Our activities were accessible, and not affected by finance and were open to all. Since our appearance on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021, we are being asked to support many more service users with a wide range of SEND and LT&LLCs in Surrey, but who have no/very limited budgets due to the challenges of their conditions. As a result of our recent feedback from parents on our steering committee, we are planning to do all day SEND workshops on Saturdays to support families in Surrey.

Annual Day of Dance at Guildford Spectrum

Today was our annual SEND Dance Day at Guildford Spectrum Leisure Complex. We were delighted to share a wonderful and inclusive routine with children from 10 SEND schools in Surrey: Carew Academy, Link Secondary, Bensham Manor school, Cornfield School, Portesbury School, Strathmore School, Abbey School, Freemantles, Woodfield School & Linden Bridge.

Not only did it make a huge difference to the children to celebrate the power of dance - it impacted our teachers too!

Here is what Rebekah had to say:

"Today @synergydanceoutreach put on a special education needs day of dance. What a fantastic day to be a part of. 10 schools arrived, and we all learnt a choreographed dance piece to the song 'shine bright like a diamond.' 100s of children enjoying the day and dancing with smiles on their faces. Home for lunch before heading out to teach Yoga classes in another school. I love what I do".

We would like to pay tribute to our awesome and dedicated team who help us every day to make a difference.

Thank you to all the schools who took part, our wonderful Synergy teachers and special thanks to Abigail, for her choreography and creative talents in helping us to create a memorable, fun and inclusive experience for the children.

For yoga, dance, SEN events reach out to @synergydanceoutreach for more info or email admin@synergydanceoutreach.co.uk.

Surrey Youth Games

At the Surrey Youth Games Synergy Dance® Outreach trained up 15 children, who were taught inclusive dance and encouraged to perform in front of parents for a day of dance at Surrey Sports Park.

Surrey Youth Games

In July we teamed up with Active Surrey for the Surrey School Games in Weybridge. We had over 800 children attend the Summer Festival and shared the benefits of dance and keeping active.

Measuring success and impact

We measure the project impact success on our target groups by conducting effective monitoring and evaluation throughout our projects. How we do this depends on whether delivery is in person or online.

We measure success by impact, success stories, surveys, case studies & testimonials. Both onsite & on demand classes in the last year significantly improved both physical, mental health and wellbeing for children. 67% of respondents reported an improved fitness level and 92% want to continue. We conduct monitoring and evaluation throughout service delivery. See: Synergy-danceonline.teachable.com/p/testimonials

For classes delivered online via our bespoke platform, there are options to “opt in” for feedback on the platform, making this easy to do. Participants are asked on registration what they would like to achieve in the classes, any anxieties they have in relation to the class and any needs of personal support. The platform’s software also records all enrolments and any enquiries/expressions of interest in any programme. We always work to ensure all participants have as positive and inclusive an experience as possible. We are mindful of data privacy regulations and take all appropriate steps in connection with this and the portal ensures GDPR compliance with an immediate option on enrolment to opt in for email contact only if they wish to.

We also endeavour to source feedback on barriers and concerns with participating (from participants and/or parents/carers as appropriate) in activities including:

Self-confidence and goals for participating.

The most reported changes we are told about by our beneficiaries are:

The future

It is vital that we continue to provide activities to enable our beneficiaries to exercise, relax and keep fit safely at home and for on site. Our online programmes have proved particularly accessible for the audiences we serve.

Our key objective is to continue to create innovative ways for our service users to keep fit and be included. We want to improve the community’s mental health, wellbeing and physical fitness; teach essential skills; and make everyone feel positively empowered.

Attending regular dance, yoga and exercise classes helps people to maintain a sense of routine and purpose and provides feelings of mastery, wellbeing and achievement. This is also mirrored on a National basis. We are expanding throughout the UK and our fast-growing, innovative charity is coming soon to venues near you! Global reach is also coming soon as we expand our services with new partners tba.

We continually look for new ways to enable those with SEND to become more active, and regularly canvass our customers to discover what they want and need the most.

For more information, or to partner with us, or become a sponsor, contact: admin@synergydance.co.uk

Thank you to everyone who has supported and worked with us to champion inclusion and diversity!

Synergy Dance® & Synergy Dance Outreach Testimonials and Reviews

www.synergydance.co.uk | www.synergydanceoutreach.co.uk

I've been doing some of the Visually Impaired Synergy Dance Outreach Yoga & Dance classes through British Blind Sport and my 8-year-old has been joining in too - would definitely recommend them as really accessible, fun sessions!

I love doing Yoga with Gill. It is so nice to be able to do a club that is welcoming and accessible to me. It always calms me down at the end of a long school day. It has also helped with balance and flexibility and I've noticed this has helped me in everyday activities and also with adaptive rowing I like to do. Gill is really good as explaining what to do verbally and is nice and friendly. She thinks of ways to adapt exercises if I find them a bit difficult or am a bit too wobbly.

My daughter Gracie suffers from ASD and often has meltdowns when or frustrated. Your SEND Yoga classes have added structure to her evenings and given her a sense of calm before bed. I look forward to seeing what other classes you offer soon. I would be keen to see SEND dance for children.

Instead of physically lashing out and becoming verbally aggressive, T has learnt to ask for space (sometimes by holding his sign), walk away and implement relaxation techniques to regulate emotional outbursts. He has also been able to identify and recognise potential triggers and communicate these as a prevention. As teachers we are able to be support this, enabling a smoother running environment in the classroom for T and his classmates

I have a Visual Impairment and a friend recommended Synergy to me as they have free online audio classes. The content is amazing and I am really enjoying it too. Thank you for offering this it's very hard for us to find things to do to stay active especially in lock down.

E has grown in confidence and has seemed to come into her own since beginning sessions and it seems she has made some valuable relationships. Bullying had made her withdrawn and very nervous. Since beginning the group we have seen her become more relaxed and able to tolerate group environments. Engagement in school seems to have improved and we are all able to enjoy moving to music at home!

The dancing has been great for our children, including B who has autism. In a period of 8 weeks B has had time to express himself and communicate with other children in a creative medium - which has meant that we have seen some interacting with others that would never hapen during verbal exchange! B has been anle to develop a sense of empathy and form an awareness of others on a deeper level than before. We have seen B's confidence grow, friendships form and it has been a supportive space to share difficult experiences too. It was great that no dance experience was needed and the teacher was able to provide ways of moving. If this was unfordable or new to begin with - props where great!

II spoke to another mum today who said her 14-yearold daughter loved it, although it's quite weird for all of us doing classes on our own in our bedrooms/dining rooms!

One family with two children aged 9 and 6 (a younger sibling joined in a lot of the session), emailed the same evening and said: Thanks so much for the yoga session, so relaxing and very much enjoyed. Thanks again.

Cristina was absolutely lovely. She came on early and we chatted about the group. From a practical point of view, her video and sound were great. She was very clear in what she was asking us to do, which is just as well because you can't always see! She pitched her language and 'stories' as the right level I.E. space flight as opposed to teddy bears etc and really engaged nicely with the children. Commenting on their moves and the things she could see around them. I think everyone felt very comfortable with her, but equally challenged by the things she asked of us. I certainly had a great time.

Working with Synergy Dance® has provided an opportunity for creative expression for our children and young people during this lockdown period and introduced them to different genres of dance that they may not have practiced in school. The staff are professional, fun, friendly and patient. Attributes well suited to working with vulnerable students.

I am a carer and I have been doing the Senior ParaStars Yoga with some of my clients and they are loving it adding some exercise and fun to their days on my daily visits it's nice to see them smiling and moving around.

Your continued support during these ongoing and uncertain times has positively changed so many Visually Impaired people's lives. Your partnership and continued hard work has provided plenty of opportunities for the VI community to get physically active and will so as we move into the New Year. Secondly, I wanted to say how grateful and appreciative British Blind Sport are for all your hard work. I thoroughly look forward to continuing to develop out partnership together.

Thank you so much for this opportunity, Imaan had the best time, she's already told all her friends that she's now famous! And thank you to allthe wonderful dedicated dance teachers at Synergy, our kids truly have lots of love for all of you, and we appreciate what you do.

-Hooda

Kathryn, I just wanted to say a great big thank you to you and Synergy Dance for inviting Sam to take part in this amazing opportunity. Despite being a little unsettled during rehearsals, he gave it his all on the day and was so excited and proud to have been part of it all. He misses out on so many

opportunities/parties/events due to his challenges so to be part of this has meant so much to him and to us.

Thank you so much for allowing Zoe to be a part ofthe most incredible day! A dream come true for sure!

Dear Kathryn, thank you for organising this event and spending time to dance with and make friends with Lucy - she's convinced your coming round for her birthday Pizza and hasn't stopped talking about you. Lucy had a fantastic time and is still sleeping in her Pudsey ears. Thank you again, it will be with her a lifetime.

My daughter love’s synergy dance! She enjoys weekly lessons with Lizzie and has so much fun! I would definitely recommend Synergy to anyone looking for dance activities for children.

My daughter is really enjoying the class alot on Saturday. The teacher makes it fun and works hard to include everyone in the class with all the varying needs and wants!

My daughter recently started the Acro Hip Hop class and loves it. She says it’s her favourite thing of the week. It’s a lovely inclusive environment with a kind teacher who handles the kids with confidence and ease.

My daughter and her 2 friends have been attending since Sept last year and they absolutely love the session. Annie the dance teacher is friendly and encouraging, the kids talk about her all the time! Would love to be able to see an end of term routine of some sort as due to restrictions last year we were unable to. Definitely recommend this class x

What a brilliant Dance school, that's what I call inclusion! Fantastic attitude towards ALL students..... Fab-U-Lou's!

-Cee Johnson

What an amazing thing to do for these youngsters. Huge admiration to Synergy and good to know our contributions really do make a difference.

We want to have you involved doing some sessions the next academic year because we have heard many positive things about what you do!

My son M adores his sessions with Vicky at Dysart. Will forward you a video of him having an independent boogie 2 nights ago. He's never been able to focus long enough to follow a routine on his own!

Larisa Strickland - Parent

After seeing this clip on Sunday my 5 year old (who� loves dancing) has decided to cycle 10 miles next� week in order to raise money to "help children to�learn to dance". Even she can see how amazing these�classes are.

-Lisa Matthew's

We just had our first dance session and it was brilliant!!

-Nina Holmes - Gosden House School

A Royal Event - with Whizz Kids

It went really well, thank you. The Countess was really knowledgeable about disability and the challenges our young people face and was very easy to speak to. I understand she does some yoga in her own time and joined in with Natalie’s session.

Thank you so much for all your patience and cooperation with the organisation and to Natalie for running everything on the day. I know the young people really enjoyed the session!

I just wanted to feedback to you, that George has had a pretty tough time of it since the beginning of the pandemic. I’ve had to work more than usual (I’m a paramedic so no working at home for me!) which meant he was able to attend school during the period of homeschooling, however it was all different for him as they offered places as ‘childcare’ rather than a typical school day. Then as he returned full time he was kept back a year whilst his friends and regular teacher moved up, so he had more change to contend with.

Covid also hasn’t been kind to our family, and we have lost many family members over the last two years. We are a small, but close family, and the absences are greatly noticed.

On top of this George has had two operations at Great Ormond Street - he was really brave!

As George is non-verbal, I’ve not really been able to talk to him about how he is feeling, or talk him through difficult situations, and last year he really struggled with anxiety. This affected his ability to attend - and then stay in school, and then began to affect him at home too. He didn’t really want to go out of a weekend, and wanted to stay home for fear if he went out, he’d be taken to school.

It was so sad to see, as George has always been such a happy, cheerful little boy, known by all for his huge smile and infectious giggle!

I had been searching for a support group or therapy for him - well, actually searching for anything that might help him work through his anxiety! But there is little to nothing out there for children with special needs. I then found you, through watching Strictly Come Dancing.

Since starting his dance classes I, and school have seen a huge change in George. George has only been attending for a couple of months, but has grown hugely in confidence and made huge personal developments in his understanding and language. He is so keen to copy his teacher, firstly watching her perform the dance move, then trying to copy, and has even started to develop some language, copying her as she tells him what the dance move is called, Amazing! George has actually been looking forward to going to school, to show staff and his peers the move he’s learned - before Christmas we couldn’t even get him through the door! His cheeky little laugh and smile has returned, and I’m so thrilled to see ‘the old George’ returning. So thank you so much, for such a wonderful, inclusive, fun group!

Find out about our Strictly Come Dancing journey Below!

Watch us on Strictly Come Dancing - https://vimeo.com/664702396/cb84ea306f

Watch us on Children in Need - - https://youtu.be/_SKl eRKhy8

Watch our Dancers have their say on the Strictly Come Dancing Final - https://youtu.be/uE5Dxc0YBCA

Rachael Hurton, talks Strictly Come Dancing on BBC Radio Surrey - https://synergydanceoutreach.co.uk/2021/12/20/strictly-come-dancing-2021/

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Syneryy online classes reached C. 27.1)00 children and young people with SEND to help improve physical and mental health and wellbeing with PR support and shares from partners iKluding Sport England Platfomi. British Blind Sport & Children in Need. May 2021- April 2022 Children & Young People We enabled 174 visually impaired and blind children and young people to enjoy dance and yoga classes. leaming new skills and making new friend (￿r onsite d•liv•ry s•rvic•5 rnached and supported 2.700 children and young people with disabilities via special school and leisure centre classes and our annual SEND f•slival and partner •vent ring this year SEND Schools nefitted from nergy dance. ness and yoga sses providing richment. Improving Ilbein9 and sing A.real highlight for us. and especially Ihe children and young people we support. was our visit from Te55 and Claudia and appearances on BBC Slricl Come Dancing in November 2021. Our collaboration wilh partners enabled 1.954 children and young people in SEND schools to enjoy dance and yoga classes they would not have been able to access without our supporL We seeured several new partners including Surr Young Carnrs. Sav• thg Children and Children in Need. Cube Disability Kids nd Whizz Kids. Our Children in Need Yoga & Meditstion vldeo was used by 1.1k thildren & young Partner & platfoim stats showed 4,500 people with a disability or wheelchair bound. 2,500 with SEND ndlor Autism. & 458 Cerebral Palsy regularly engaged with our service5. We delivered 15 regional and 4 National Outreach Projert5, partnered with 3 National Leisure Chains and acquired new Global Port1)erl May 2021-April 2022 We enabled 121 Adults with learning disabilities & visual impalrments to improve their mental & physical health & wellbeing through attending in-person Synergy dance and yoga. We supported the wellbeing of 257 older people in care homes and daycare via our Synergy dancè, yoga and singing classes. We benefitted from a 27% increase in volunteers for both onsitè activities and behind the 5cene5 SUPPOrt We had 168 new sign ups from FND Hope UK for online workouts for members who are adults with Funrtional N•urological Disord•rs Advocates of in¢lusion & agents of ¢hang*! 94% reported being happier & less anxious after our classes & 67% respondents telt fitter. Online. on-demand and Ilvèstream at.home artiviti•s continue to be in demand with 80% of customers usin We won several awards Including Diversity and Inclusion Award SRA, Sp•ciallst Dance School of th• Y•ar and Leader of the year.

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Synergy Dance Outreach

Charity registration number: 1180506

Trustees' Annual Report

The trustees present their report and financial statements for the year ended 30 April 2022 The report and financial statements also meet the requirements for a directors' report and accounts for Companies Act purposes.

The financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Companies Act 2006, the Memorandum and Articles of Association, and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS102) (effective 1 January 2019)

Trustees' responsibilities in relation to the financial statements

The charity trustees (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing a trustees' annual report and financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

Company law requires the charity trustees to prepare financial statements for each year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable group for that period.

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are required to: select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP; make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

state wether applicable UK accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements

prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to assume that the charity will continue in business

The trustees are responsible for keeping adequate records that are sufficient to show and explain the companys transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Disclosure of information to independent examiners

Each person who was a trustee at the time this report was approved confirms that: so far as he is aware, there is no relevant information of which the charity's independent examiner he has taken all the steps he ought to have taken as a director in order to make himself aware of any relevant information and to establish that the charitys independent examiner is aware of that information.

Independent Examiners' Report to the members of Synergy Dance Outreach

I report on the unaudited accounts of Synergy Dance Outreach for the year ended 30 April 2022 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the Cashflow Statement and the related notes. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and the United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice), including FRS 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland'.

Respective responsibilities of trustee and examiner

The trustees (who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of company law) are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year under section 43(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act) and that an independent examination is needed.

I am qualified to undertake the examination, being a qualified member of the Association of International Accountants

Having satisfied myself that the charity is not subject to audit under company law and is eligible for independent examination, it is my responsibility to:

Basis of Independent Examiner’s Report

My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as to whether the accounts present a 'true and fair view' and the report is limited to those matters set out in the statement below.

Independent Examiner’s Statement Report

No matters have come to my attention in the 2022 Financial Statements, which gives me

Have not been met; or

Carter Collins and Myer Accountants 13 February 2023

Synergy Dance Outreach

Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 30 April 2022

Unrestricted
Funds		 Restricted
Funds		 Total Total
2022 2022 2022 2021
Note £ £ £ £
Incoming resources
Donations and legacies 3 368 368 204
Income from charitable activities 4 28,443 35,681 64,123 105,300
Other income 0 0 2
Total incoming resources 28,811 35,681 64,492 105,506
Resources expended
Raising Funds 6 1,667 9,810 11,477 4,968
Charitable Activities 7 28,089 64,482 92,571 77,788
Other 8 334 334 1,189
Total resources expended 30,090 74,292 104,382 83,945
Net movement in funds (1,279) (38,611) (39,890) 21,561
Transfers between funds 15 (17,474) 17,474
Total funds brought forward 15 (6,250) 26,825 20,575 (986)
Total funds carried forward 15 (25,003) 5,688 (19,315) 20,575

The statement of financial activities includes all gains and losses in the year. All incoming resources and resources expended derive from continuing activities.

13

Synergy Dance Outreach

Balance Sheet as at 30 April 2022

Unrestricted Restricted 2022 2021
£ £ £ £
Fixed Assets
Tangible assets 0 0 0 76
0 0 0 76
Current Assets
Debtors 11 5146 9990 15,136 529
Cash at bank and in hand 5910 0 5,910 41,941
11,056 9,990 21,046 42,470
Creditors 12
Amounts falling due in one year (12,826) 0 (12,826) (12,971)
Net Current Assets (1,770) 9,990 8,220 29,499
Amounts falling due
after more than one year (27,535) 0 (27,535) (9,000)
Net Assets (29,305) 9,990 (19,315) 20,575
Funds of the Charity
Unrestricted funds 13 (25,003) (25,003) (6,250)
Restricted funds 13 5,690 5,690 26,825
Total Funds (25,003) 5,690 (19,313) 20,575

The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for

The members have not required the charitable company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the

The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the special provisions of Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 relating to small charitable companies and with the Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015).

Approved by the Board and signed on their behalf by:

Nicola Whittaker Trustee Approved by the board on 13 February 2023

14

Synergy Dance Outreach

Notes to the Financial Statements

Accounting policies

Basis of preparation

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019) ‐ Charities SORP (FRS 102)), The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006.

The Charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. Assets and liabilities are initially recognised at historical cost or transaction value unless otherwise stated in the relevent accounting policy note(s).

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds are available to spend on activities that further any of the purposes of the charity. Designated funds are unrestriced funds of the charity which the trustees have deciced at their discretion to set aside to use for a specific purpose. Restricted funds are donations which the donor has specified are to be soley used for particular areas of the Charity's work or for specific projects being undertaken by the Charity.

Incoming resources

Incoming is recognised when the charity has entitlement to the funds, any performance conditions attached to the item(s) of income have been met, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Resources expended

Expenditure is recognised on an accrual basis when a liability is incurred. Expenditure includes any VAT which cannot be fully recovered and is included as part of the expenditure to which it relates.

Operating leases

Rentals payable under operating leases, where substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership remains with the lessor, are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the year in which they fall due.

Tangible fixed assets

Fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Individual items costing less than £500 are not capitalised.

Tangible fixed assets are depreciated on a straight line basis over their estimated useful lives as follows:

Fixtures and fittings 25%
Computer equipment 25%
Café equipment 25%

Stock

Stock, which relates to items bought for resale in the Charity’s café, is valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value.

Pensions

The charity operates a stakeholder pension scheme for its staff. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the charity in an independently administered fund. Details of the charity’s contribution are given in Note 9 to these accounts.

Donations
Income
Incoming from Charitable Activities
Grants
Other Charitable Activities
Interest Income
Advertising and Marketing
Administration
Consulting
Depreciation Expense
Direct Expenses
Equipment and Props
General Expenses
Instructor Fee
Insurance
Postage, Freight and Courier
Printing and Stationery
Project Management
Rent
Subscriptions
Telephone and Internet
Wages
Donations and Legacies
Investment Income
Expenditure on raising funds		 Unrestricted
Restricted
2022
2021
£
£
£
£
0
368
368
204
2
0
368
368
206
Unrestricted
Restricted
2022
2021
£
£
£
£
0
33,023
33,023
99,053
28,442
2,658
31,100
6,247
28,442
35,681
64,123
105,300
Unrestricted
Restricted
2022
2021
£
£
£
£
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
2
Unrestricted
Restricted
2022
2021
£
£
£
£
1,667
9,810
11,477
4,968
1,667
9,810
11,477
4,968
£
£
£
£
864
4,539
5,404
24,406
0
0
0
8,166
76
0
76
75
0
0
0
238
2,963
14,241
17,204
459
1,336
676
2,012
2,088
10,182
10,680
20,861
15,185
299
0
299
288
46
3
50
4
26
0
26
0
5,563
18,387
23,951
23,979
380
4,131
4,511
707
1,566
1,952
3,518
1,398
323
0
323
68
3,991
9,695
13,686
728
27,615
64,304
91,919
77,789
Accountancy fees
Bank fees
Net Incoming / (outgoing resources
This is stated after charging:
Depreciation of owned fixed assets
Independent examiners fee
Other accountancy fees
Other expenditure		 Unrestricted
Restricted
2022
2021
£
£
£
£
474
178
652
965
334
0
334
224
807
178
986
1,189
Unrestricted
Restricted
2022
2021
£
£
£
£
76
0
76
75
0
0
473.6
178.2
652
965
549
178
727
1,040

Trustees renumeration and expenses

No employee received emoluments of more than £60,000 per annum.

Tangible Fixed Assets
COST
At 1 May 2021
Additions
Disposals
At 30 April 2022
DEPRECIATION
At 1 May 2021
Charges
Disposals
At 30 April 2022
NBV
At 30 April 2021
At 30 April 2022		 Equipment
Total
£
£
226
226
0
0
226
226
150
150
76
76
0
226
226
76
76
0
0
Trade Debtors
Prepayments
Trade Creditors
Accruals
Payroll Cost Creditor
Deferred Income
Trustee Loan
Loan
Debtors
Creditors: amounts falling due
Creditors: amounts falling due		 Unrestricted
Restricted
2022
2021
£
£
£
£
4,892
9,990
14,882
281
254
0
254
248
5,146
9,990
15,136
529
Unrestricted
Restricted
2022
2021
£
£
£
£
6,975
0
6,975
7,679
900
0
900
900
4,951
0
4,951
0
0
0
0
4,392
12,826
0
12,826
12,971
Unrestricted
Restricted
2022
2021
£
£
£
£
20,035
0
20,035
4,392
7,500
0
7,500
9,000
27,535
0
27,535
13,392

Taxation

The charity is exempt from tax on income and gains falling within S505 of the income & Corporation Taxes Act 1988 (ICTA 1998) or S256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to the extent that these are applied to its charitable objects. No tax charges have arisen in the charity

Fund At Incoming Outgoing Transfers At
Movement 01.05.2021 resources resources 30.04.2022
Restricted Funds
Active Surrey 0 (18) 0 18 0
Active Surrey PS/TE TE/VI 0 0 (455) 455 0
AS PS Yoga 1,140 (1,779) 639 0
AS Send Yoga 0 123 (263) 140 0
AS Woking 2020 0 1,039 (903) (136) 0
Awards for All 143 (143) 0
CFS COV2 6,014 (6,802) 788 0
CFS FISH 0 (334) 334 0
CFS HS2 3,180 (6,681) 3,501 0
CFS Intergen 3,633 (2,262) 0 1,371
CFS SEND 0 (510) 510 0
CFSJ 0 4,950 (633) 0 4,317
Charles Hayward 1,613 (1,620) 7 (0)
CICF
CIN Year 3
CIN Year 4
Community Foundation VI
EMD SE ACP
EMD UK
GBC
Mole Valley / Dorking Sen
Postcode Community
Southern
Sussex
Sylken
TIF3
True Colours
Unrestricted Funds
General Funds
Designated Funds
Total Funds		 0
2,021
(3,823)
1,802
0
6,720
1,513
(11,468)
3,235
0
0
9,990
(12,558)
2,568
0
328
(328)
0
987
0
(839)
(148)
0
6
(6)
0
52
(52)
0
2,016
(3,170)
1,154
0
993
(1,826)
833
0
0
3,000
(3,361)
361
0
0
4,612
(4,809)
197
0
0
450
(590)
140
0
0
3,000
(3,100)
100
0
0
5,000
(6,505)
1,505
0
26,825
35,681
(74,292)
17,474
5,690
(6,250)
28,811
(30,089)
(17,474)
(25,003)
0
(6,250)
28,811
(30,089)
(17,474)
(25,003)
20,575
64,492
(104,381)
(0)
(19,313)