Registered Churity Number." 1195299
Annual Report
11412022 - 301612023
TIA’S CROWN TRUSTEE ANNUAL REPORT
## Contents
Executive Summary....................................................................................................2 Chair Statement..........................................................................................................3 An Overview...............................................................................................................4 Mission Statement...............................................................................................4 About Tia’s Crown................................................................................................5 Achievements.............................................................................................................6 Governance................................................................................................................9 Financial Review......................................................................................................12 What Our Clients Say...............................................................................................15
1 | Registered Charity Number 1195299
TIA’S CROWN TRUSTEE ANNUAL REPORT
## Executive Summary
**As written in the constitution Tia** ’ **s Crown was established, as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), for the following purpose:**
1. To provide or assist in the provision of facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation or other leisure time occupation of individuals who have need of such facilities by reason of their youth, age, infirmity or disability, financial hardship or social circumstances with the object of improving their conditions of life, in particular but not exclusively through the provision of workshops and classes in dance.
2. For the public benefit, the promotion and protection of good mental and physical health of individuals with poor physical and mental health in particular but not exclusively through the provision of grants to registered charities.
This report covers the last year for the charity, in which it has been further building itself as a name to support mental and physical wellbeing. Links have been made with other charitable organisations for partnership work. The charity continues to establish itself in its local community and in new communities across the country.
Like all other small charities it has been a difficult year for fundraising. We have experienced demand in providing free dance sessions to improve mental health and well being as people become more stressed with the cost of living crisis and search for a way to de stress. Yet donations and sponsorship are becoming increasingly difficult to acquire.
This report contains the financial accounts for the period as stated in this report.
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TIA’S CROWN TRUSTEE ANNUAL REPORT
## Chair Statement
We are now into the second year of the charity. In this year 3 trustees resigned and 3 new trustees were engaged and there has been a re shuffle of roles and responsibilities, in particular to finance.
Ambassadors have grown in number to 6 and we are presently in discussion with this year’s Dance Floor Heroes contestants as they have shown an interest in becoming ambassadors for fundraising.
We have linked with the local college and students have been involved in dance, costume, photography and front of house supporting our fundraising Dance Floor Heroes show.
We now deliver our ‘Let’s Dance’ sessions to local community groups, partner charities and employers as well as the ones held at The Crown Ballroom. We also have held sessions in the local park and library. We have another planned session at Stanley Park and one at the Mirror Ball on Blackpool Promenade.
A Preston based dance school is due to come on board in the autumn.
We are promoting dance for well being with employers and have run 2 sessions in schools. The first session was in Stoke, for staff and pupils and the second session was in Blackpool for staff. This is all in line with our 3 year strategic plan.
To accommodate the extra sessions 2 more teachers have become involved in the dance delivery.
We obviously cannot do a lot of the work or extend our dance sessions without raising vital funds.
As well as raffles we have held a quiz night (another one in the planning) and have a psychic night coming up.
The trustees were pleased when a local Company, Glasdon’s Ltd gave a grant of £4,200 to cover the cost of hiring venues and teachers for the free dance sessions, this has helped us grow this provision.
Fundraising is constant and has been difficult in the present economic climate. Like other small charities this has been a difficult year for income generation. The trustees continue to apply for grants and investigate all income generation ideas.
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TIA’S CROWN TRUSTEE ANNUAL REPORT
## An Overview
## **As written in the constitution Tia** ’ **s Crown was established, as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), for the following purpose:**
3. To provide or assist in the provision of facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation or other leisure time occupation of individuals who have need of such facilities by reason of their youth, age, infirmity or disability, financial hardship or social circumstances with the object of improving their conditions of life, in particular but not exclusively through the provision of workshops and classes in dance.
4. For the public benefit, the promotion and protection of good mental and physical health of individuals with poor physical and mental health in particular but not exclusively through the provision of grants to registered charities.
## **Mission Statement**
## **Our Mission:**
Tia’s Crown mission is to empower people to enhance their mental and physical wellbeing through the medium of dance.
## **Our Vision:**
Tia’s Crown envisions a world where people will have;
- the feeling of safety and stability,
- the ability to cope and thrive, and
- a sense of connection with other people, local communities and the wider environment
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TIA’S CROWN TRUSTEE ANNUAL REPORT
## **Our Core Values:**
## **Integrity**
## **Accountability**
## **Respect**
## **Creativity**
Tia’s Crown maintains the highest standards of professional and ethical behaviour, and value transparency and honesty in our communications, relationships and actions
We hold ourselves We value and celeWe go beyond accountable for the brate the unique conventional ideas quality and lasting and diverse taland approaches so results of our work ents, experiences new possibilities and for the commitand perspectives and innovation can ments we make to of everyone, and flourish to ensure our participants, treat our particireal and lasting partners, donors, pants, partners, positive change and each other donors and each other with sensitivity and respect
## **About Tia** ’ **s Crown**
## **Background**
From our inception in lockdown, Tia’s Crown has strived to maintain the concept of free dance sessions to support mental health and well being. We are still in our infancy but are now becoming well known not only in our local community, but across the country, as more people have engaged with Dance Floor Heroes heats in different localities.
Tia's Crown was founded to help support mental & physical wellbeing through dance and reaching out to the local community and further afield. We know how dance can affect people’s mental well-being, releasing endorphins and giving a boost. But it’s also about being around others and being made to feel welcome and allowing ourselves to feel enjoyment without being judged.
There is now much more evidance on our mental health Cool Facts Hot Feet by Depromotion to employers.
dence available on the power of and well being. The publication of partment of Health has helped in
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TIA’S CROWN TRUSTEE ANNUAL REPORT
## Achievements
## **World record cha cha challenge**
On October 22nd 2022 the charity held an event at Blackpool Tower attempting to break the world record in a cha cha lesson. Students from Blackpool and Fylde College helped by being dance leaders and also helping with adjudication. The event was a great success and the room was full of participants. All paperwork was completed for record purposes.
## **Dance Floor Heroes**
As part of our charity programme our main fundraising event was Dance Floor Heroes which was held on 24th February 2023 in the Empress Ballroom, The Winter Gardens, Blackpool.
The trustees put on 5 free dance days across the country. Heats took place in Blackpool, Leeds, Birmingham, Bristol and Andover. Attendees experienced a fun team building dance event. It gave the opportunity for participants to meet new people, to develop their confidence and learn new dance skills.
From these days,12 participants were chosen to dance with 12 professional dancers at The Winter Gardens Blackpool. Each participant raised sponsorship for the charity. The show is self financing from ticket sales and local companies support it by sponsoring, e.g. programmes sponsored by the local leaflet distributing company.
The event was an extravaganza and was well received. £13000 was raised by the participants via Just Giving. This was half of what was raised when the show had been run previously and is indicative of the present climate.
These events were extremely popular and feedback on our social media was extremely positive this can be followed at https://www.facebook.com/Dance FloorHeroesUK
We are now embarking on the next set of regional heats for the next Dance Floor Heroes which will be held on 7th June 2024.
Due to many enquiries the charity is also running a Dance Floor Heroes Kids, this will also have heats and a final in Blackpool.
We have recently run a ‘Boot Camp’ day 17/6/23, where participants experienced different dance experiences. This was held in Blackpool in the premises of The Old Electric which is another arts charity. It was lovely to see participants come from a wide catchment as the charity becomes more known across the UK.
It is hoped that monies raised will support the charity’s free dance sessions for the next 12 months.
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## **Let’s Dance**
We now supply free dance sessions for our local breast cancer survivors group, this is done by request. So far 3 sessions have taken place.
We recently started (6/6/23) a weekly dance session at Mandus House on Tuesdays; participants are supplied with a free lunch by the centre at the end of the session. Mandus House is a charitable organisation in Blackpool working with the local community.
We continue to run the free Let’s Dance session at The Crown Ballroom, Fleetwood on a monthly basis. Average attendance is 8, this gives time for personal interactions over a drink and biscuit at the end of the session.
Our 3 year plan was to grow to 3 new dance schools, at the point of this report it is only in 2. Negotiations are still in place to run sessions in a dance school in Leeds in the next year.
We also held free dance session in a local library, the local park and have one planned on the promenade in Blackpool. Trustees have recently met with local councillors to delibrary setting. It is hoped that these will promote how dance can ‘make you feel good”. It is also hoped that it will boost donations.
velop the work in a hoped that these dance can ‘make also hoped that it tions.
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||**Let**’**s Dance Sessions 2022/2023**|**Let**’**s Dance Sessions 2022/2023**|**Let**’**s Dance Sessions 2022/2023**|**Let**’**s Dance Sessions 2022/2023**|**Let**’**s Dance Sessions 2022/2023**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Date**|**Time**|**Venue**|**Event**
**organiser**|**Teacher**|**Event Contact Details**|
|**16/8/22**|13.00 - 14.00|Stanley Park|Lydia Dickinson|Alison Slinger
Lydia Dickinson||
|**11/12/22**|14.00 -15.30|The Crown Ball-
room|Alison Slinger|Alison Slinger|The Crown Ballroom
Fleetwood|
|**12/12/22**|19.00 - 20.00|The Cube|Tina Boults|Alison Slinger|Allyson Holmes Breast
Cancer Support Group
afholmes @live.co.uk|
|**13/12/22**|10.00 - 11.30|The Crown Ball-
room|Alison Slinger|Alison Slinger|The Crown Ballroom
Fleetwood|
|**31/3/23**|9.30 -10.45|The Crown Ball-
room|Alison Slinger|Alison Slinger|The Crown Ballroom
Fleetwood|
|**14/4/23**|9.30 - 11.00|The Crown Ball-
room|Alison Slinger|Alison Slinger|The Crown Ballroom
Fleetwood|
|**16/5/23**|13.00|Moor Park Li-
brary|Mark Bairstow|Alison Slinger||
|**27/6/23**|3.30 - 4.30|Highfurlong
School|Tina Boults
Cath Middleton|Alison Slinger|Bev Holmes|
|**11/7/23**|19.00|The cube|Tina Boults|Alison Slinger|Allyson Holmes Breast
Cancer Support Group
afholmes@live.co.uk|
|**25/7/23**|11.00 - 14.00|GlitterBall|Tina Boults|Alison Slinger|Chris Pope Blackpool
councilchris@visitblack
-
pool.com|
|**15/8/23**|TBC|Stanley Park|Lydia
Dickenson|Alison Slinger||
|**6/6/23**|11.00 - 12.00
Every Tuesday
x 30 weeks|Mandus House|Tina Boults.
Cath Middleton|Elizabeth Jones|Andrew Mulholland
Mandus House
476 Lytham Road
andrew@mandushouse.o
rg.uk|
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TIA’S CROWN TRUSTEE ANNUAL REPORT
## Governance
Tia’s Crown is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) who’s only voting members are its charity trustees.
## **Charity trustees**
## **Functions and duties of charity trustees**
The charity trustees shall manage the affairs of the CIO and may for that purpose exercise all the powers of the CIO. It is the duty of each charity trustee:
to exercise his or her powers and to perform his or her functions in his or her capacity as a trustee of the CIO in the way he or she decides in good faith would be most likely to further the purposes of the CIO; and
to exercise, in the performance of those functions, such care and skill as is reasonable in the circumstances having regard in particular to:
any special knowledge or experience that he or she has or holds himself or herself out as having; and,
(ii) if he or she acts as a charity trustee of the CIO in the course of a business or profession, to any special knowledge or experience that it is reasonable to expect of a person acting in the course of that kind of business or profession.
## **Eligibility for trusteeship**
Every charity trustee must be a natural person.
No individual may be appointed as a charity trustee of the CIO:
•if he or she is under the age of 16 years; or
•if he or she would automatically cease to hold office under the provisions of clause 12(1)(e).
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TIA’S CROWN TRUSTEE ANNUAL REPORT
No one is entitled to act as a charity trustee whether on appointment or on any reappointment until he or she has expressly acknowledged, in whatever way the charity trustees decide, his or her acceptance of the office of charity trustee.
At least one of the trustees of the CIO must be 18 years of age or over. If there is no trustee aged at least 18 years, the remaining trustees may only act to call a meeting of the charity trustees, or appoint a new charity trustee.
## **Number of charity trustees**
Option 1
(a)There must be at least five charity trustees. If the number falls below this minimum, the remaining trustee or trustees may act only to call a meeting of the charity trustees, or appoint a new charity trustee.
Option 1a
(b)The maximum number of charity trustees is 9. The charity trustees may not appoint any charity trustee if as a result the number of charity trustees would exceed the maximum.
## **First Charity Trustees**
The first charity trustees are as follows, and are appointed for the following terms –
|Alison Slinger|4 years|
|---|---|
|Tina Boults|4 years|
|Catherine Middleton|3 years|
## **Appointment of Charity Trustees**
Apart from the first charity trustees, every trustee must be appointed for a term of 3 years by a resolution passed at a properly convened meeting of the charity trustees.
In selecting individuals for appointment as charity trustees, the charity trustees must have regard to the skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO.
## **Current Trustees**
|**Name**||**Date of First**
**Appointment**|**Date when**
**appointment**
**expires**|
|---|---|---|---|
|Alison Slinger|Creative Director & Co-
Founder|26/07/2021|26/07/2025|
|Tina Boults|Chair & Co-Founder|26/07/2021|26/07/2025|
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TIA’S CROWN TRUSTEE ANNUAL REPORT
|Catherine Middleton|Finance|26/07/2021|26/07/2024|
|---|---|---|---|
|Chelsey Scargill|Trustee|04/07/2022|24/6/2025|
|Stacey Bonell|Trustee|28/03/2023|28/03/2026|
|Mark Bairstow|Trustee|23/3/2023|23/03/2026|
## **Volunteers**
As well as dedicated Trustees the charity also have 7 ambassadors that support with events and promotion of the work of the charity:
Andrew Nichols- Clarke Louise Pickin Lauren Pickup Kyle Passmore Cassandra Gleeson Joshua Fasuyi Lydia Dickinson
There are also other volunteers that are not formally associated with the charity but regularly support all events and support promotion where they can.
The Trustees wish to thank all the volunteers that give their time to the work of this charity.
## **Reference and Administrative Details:**
|**Registered name**|Tia’s Crown|
|---|---|
|**Charity registration number**|1195299|
|**Address**|C/O The Crown Ballroom|
||Farmer Parrs Estate|
||Wyrefield Farm|
||Rossall Lane|
||Fleetwood|
||LANCS|
||FY7 8SL|
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TIA'S CROWN TRUSTEE ANNUAL REPORT
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TIA’S CROWN TRUSTEE ANNUAL REPORT
## Financial Review
## **Consolidated Statement of Financial Activities for the year ended 30th June 2023**
|Tia's Crown-Charity
Number 1195299||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||Note
Ref:||Unrestricted
funds|Restricted
funds||Prior Year|
|||||||||
|**Bank account**||||£1,286.43|£940.61||£3,457.61|
|**Petty cash**||||£203.62|||£203.60|
|||||||||
|**Income & endow-**
**ments from**||3||||||
|Donations, legacies,
grants and advances||||£9428.80|£4,200.00||£0.00|
|Charitable activities||||51704.89|£||£11,703.89|
|Investments||||£0.00|£0.00||£0.00|
|||||£61,133.69|£4,200.00||£11,703.89|
|**Expenditure on**||5||||||
|Charitable activities||||£63,304.85|£3,259.39||£8,042.68|
|||||£|||£8,042.68|
|||||||||
|**Income before**
**gains & losses on**
**investments**||||||||
|unrealised gains/loses
on investments||||£0.00|£0.00||£0.00|
|||||£0.00|£0.00||£0.00|
|||||||||
|||||||||
|**Total funds**||||£1490.05|£940.61||£3,661.21|
|(income-Expenditure)||||||||
|||||||||
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TIA’S CROWN TRUSTEE ANNUAL REPORT
|**Current Assets**||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Fixed assests||||£600.00|||£600.00|
|Assets for sale||||£200.00|||£1,215.00|
|||||||||
|Total current assets||||£800.00|||£1,815.00|
The statement of financial activities includes all gains and loses recognised in the year. All income and expenditure derive from continuing activities.
The notes within pages 13 & 14 form part of these accounts.
Approved and authorised for issue by the Board and signed of behalf:
Signed:
Signed:
Trustee…Tina Boults . Trustee… Catherine Middleton Date 30/6/2023 Date 30/6/2023
## **Notes to the Accounts**
## 1. **Basis of preparation and assessment of going concern**
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 (FRS102) (effective1January2015)-(Charities SORP (FRS 102)) and the Companies Act 2006.
The Trustees consider that there are no material uncertainties about the Charity's ability to continue as a going concern.
The Trustees have considered the impact of the current financial climate and understand this may have an impact on income generation.
## 2 **Structure of Funds**
Due to the Charity having less than £10,000 income the accounts have been presented to demonstrate the Charity’s second year accounts reflecting its income, expenditure and assets.
## 3. **Income**
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TIA’S CROWN TRUSTEE ANNUAL REPORT
All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities when the charity has entitlement to the income, any performance conditions have been met, we can confirm that the income has been received and the amount can be quantified with reasonable accuracy.
## 4. **Donated Goods and Services - Role of Volunteers**
Due to the nature of the role of volunteers it is not possible to quantify the monetary value of their varied contributions but an outline of the activities they perform freely is explained below:-
It should be noted that all Trustees / Company Directors give their time and skills freely to run the Charity.
The delegated Trustee Authority make recommendations as to how the charity's designated funds are spent to benefit the charity’s vision.
Fund Raisers -
The volunteers (as detailed within this Trustee Annual Report 30/06/2022 – 30/6//2023) actively support the fundraising for the charity by directly raising funds, using collection tins as well as volunteers who undertake sponsored activities and collect through online support pages (Just Giving).
## 5. **Expenditure and Irrecoverable VAT**
All expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all costs related to the category. All expenditure is recognised once there is a legal or constructive obligation to make a payment to a third party.
Irrecoverable VAT is charged against the category of expenditure for which it was incurred.
## 6. **Assets**
Assets are reported as fixed assets and assets for sale (Charity merchandise). The only fixed assets the charity holds at this time are the Advertising & Marketing banners.
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## What Clients Say
## Our
## **After the Dance Floor Heroes show we asked participants to reflect on how it was for them Below are samples of some of the written comments made by them:**
DFH 2023 - Simply one of the best experiences of my life!
Where do I start with regards to the impact Tias Crown and their event Dance Floor Heroes has had on me throughout the last year. At a time when I was juggling work, family life and taking care of my grandma who was not well and having suffered numerous bereavements of close friends and family over the years, with one of those that still impacts me many years on, being the loss of my son James who passed away at just 30 minutes old from a rare genetic condition. I applied to enter Dance Floor Heroes having been shown the application advert by my wife who felt that it would be good for me to put in an application and see what happens. As it happens I got through to the heats at Blackpool and the week of this heat I had sadly lost my grandma who I was extremely close to and nearly didn’t attend the heats. However looking back I am so so glad I did go as it was just what I needed at the time to help me through, meeting new people and taking on a new challenge to give me something to focus and strive for. As a result I look back on my dance floor heroes journey with such fondness, happiness, memories for a lifetime and cannot thank everyone involved at Tias Crown charity, Dance Floor Heroes, my incredible dance professional Megan and all the contestants for being part of a very special journey and one of the best experiences of my life in which I have found a love for dancing and many friends for life. This is and was a life changing experience for me personally :-)
Thank you for everything.
**I'm 62 and live with depression, I am a caring person and will do anything for anyone, but find it difficult to do something for myself. I love to dance and saw the opportunity of a lifetime when I applied to DFH, not imagining that anyone would consider me, but I was proud of myself for applying. I am so grateful to the DFH team , for seeing something in me and giving me the opportunity to learn to dance with a professional and then to perform at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool . The charity TIa's crown gives opportunities for or-**
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**dinary people to not only have a dream, but the support and friends I have made along the way, has given me confidence and helped no end with my mental health, to be able to talk with like-minded people ,to dance together and have fun in a safe place . Makes this a wonderful charity to support.**
When I saw that dance floor heroes had opened their applications, I just knew I had to apply especially knowing the amazing charity it was for.
The heats for me were a mix of emotions. I was excited yet nervous about what would happen during the day. The day was amazing and everyone was so welcoming, reassuring and made everyone feel relaxed.
When I got the email that I had got through to the next round, which was making a video showing who I am as a person. I had such fun making it. My neighbours had amusement watching me jump around my back garden. Receiving the phone call that I was one of the final 12 I was in complete shock. I didn’t know what to say apart from “thank you so much” with tears streams down my face.
Meeting my dance partner Simon and finding out I was doing the waltz, I instantly knew it was going to be a challenge for me. However, when it came to rehearsals Simon was truly incredible! Words can’t even describe how great he was. He made me feel at ease during rehearsals and gave me confidence which I never knew I had.
Fast forward to the first day rehearsal before the big night. It was the most memorable day and I will forever and always remember the feeling when I saw the dress I ’t even have was going to wear for the first time. I feel beautiful wearing it (and I didn my hair and make up done yet)
When me and the other finalists went into the ballroom, that moment for me will forever and always be with me. I cried as I saw it with all the lights on knowing that my dream to perform in the world famous ballroom was coming true.
When the music started for the live show, my heart was pounding and I was so excited and could not wait to dance my waltz.
When my moment came it was the fastest two minutes of my life, yet it was the best two minutes. Hearing the feedback from the strictly judges I was very star struck and couldn’ t stop smiling. Watching the other finalists perform their dances, I was with great pride knowing that they have been on the same journey that I have had too.
Being one of the final 12 was an absolute dream come true for me and I will never forget it.
When lock down hit, I had to work from home which ended up as permanent. I became very isolated after working in an office for 20 years surrounded by my colleagues. I needed something to get me back to my usual self and when I saw the
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opportunity of becoming a Dance Floor Hero, I jumped at the chance and became a finalist. During this time I found new friends and re- discovered ballroom and Latin dancing again after many years of not dancing. I was back to my old self again. Dance helped my mental health by learning something new, I was surrounded by some great people and the support was amazing - we had each others backs. Making people aware of what dance can do is a massive thing, not only the dancing but meeting new friends along the way and being part of a wonderful charity which I hope I can continue to be a part of.
It certainly helped me get back to myself again and I loved it.
What did DFH 2023 mean to me? Where do I start? Here goes, hold on to your hats!
From start to finish, this amazing event was simply phenomenal! To be a small part of something so special meant the absolute world to me. From the initial application, all the way through the process of heats, video auditions and actual live event brought me so much joy I find it hard to explain and describe! And really, I think that says it all about what the event and charity is all about. It had a significant positive impact my mental health and physical wellbeing. The smile on my face was rarely missed, and on the odd day things were overwhelming or I wasn’t quite myself, the team and fellow contestants were sure to do something that picked me back up again. My story/journey also had an impact on a number of other people; pupils and colleagues from school, my family and friends were all massive fans and advocates of the event that they took so much joy out of the journey too. To top it all off, I somehow came out as DFH 2023 champion, and this was purely the icing on the cake. This one in a lifetime experience is something that will never be forgotten and stories from it will be retold for many years to come!
So, what now?! With how much the charity and event meant to me, I will be involving myself as much as I can with the charity from this point on! Spreading the work about the amazing charity is just a small thing I can do and hopefully give back and inspire more people to get involved!
Much love
Dance Floor Heroes 2023. Where do I start?
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It started as an off chance application and it turned into this huge life changing experience. It started as a opportunity to dance, and it became a chance to shout loudly about mental health, strength sports and science. It replaced bad experiences with performing with a once in a lifetime night, which still doesn’t seem real, and let me become part of an incredible little family. Every single person involved in the charity is an angel, every single moment they let me be a part of is cherished. Continuing to dance since the final has had huge benefits for my mental health, and I’m not just saying that! Every few weeks I return to Jake’s studio in Brighton and drop into a class, and the buzz carries me for days afterwards. If I could I’d do it all again tomorrow, it’s been one of the best experiences of my life and I can’t say thank you enough times for letting me be a part of it.
What can I say about my 2023 dance floor heroes experience, where do I start?
I can categorically say that my experience was hands down the best thing that I have ever done in my life, it was absolutely fantastic from start to finish, a life changing experience, magical. I would do it all again in heartbeat.
This was my second application and I could not believe that I was chosen from all the applications to attend the Birmingham heat, then became a semi finalist, then a finalist, I cried so much when I found out. You never believe that anything like this would ever happen to you, you never believe that you will be good enough. Well happen to me it did and I am so grateful that you chose me.
From the time that the WhatsApp group was set up I knew that the class of 2023 were going to be a special bunch of people. When we met in person in Blackpool it was like we were one big supportive family, all going through the same thing. I have to shout out to Will Norris as we trained together and he was my wing man. Walking into the Empress ballroom took my breath away, it is so beautiful. I had to pinch myself just to make sure that I was really there and it was not a dream.
Ali, Andrew, Tina, Catherine, Frankie, Chelsea and everyone else involved with Dance Floor Heroes and Tia’s Crown, and all the people behind the scenes, you are all superstars. You all worked so hard for us and were always there with advice, support and laughs. You put on a brilliant show and we all had the time of our lives. Andrew thanks for getting that zip up on the dress, although it was so hard, I did love it, and Frankie caught me on camera standing there swishing,
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TIA’S CROWN TRUSTEE ANNUAL REPORT
she always managed to catch me at those moments when I couldn’t do a particular move and was killing myself laughing.
To the pro dancers, they were all brilliant and so talented. Their patience in training us all was much appreciated. Shout out to my pro Granger who is a true gentleman and choreographed the most beautiful salsa, and also to Megan who helped me with my shoes, makeup advice, presentation advice etc. I would dance with Granger again anytime if the opportunity arose.
I still miss it all so much, and miss everyone of my class of 2023. Friendships were formed that I hope will remain.
If anyone asked me if they should take part in the whole dance floor heroes experience, I would say a massive yes as there is nothing else like it in the world.
Thank you for choosing, me thank you for giving me the chance of a lifetime, I will never ever forget it.
Lots of love.
## **Tia** ’ **s Crown**
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TIA'S CROWN TRUSTEE ANNUAL REPORT
"Changing the
world one cha cha
atatime"
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