This Volunteers’ Week we want to shine a spotlight on the incredible efforts of Jan Henshaw and Allan Gregory – who met through their mutual love for dancing.

They are both full-time dance tutors and have been volunteering with LifeTime and delivering several “Come Dance with Us” sessions a week – both in LifeTime and the community for over 6 years.

In March 2020 Covid hit and the dance sessions came to an abrupt halt.

The LifeTime team introduced them to the power of the internet and video call platform, ZOOM – the pair adapted to digital dancing and hosted their first-ever “Come Dance with Us” online dance class on 7th April 2020.

Since that first session, their commitment to the LifeTime service and to our members has been exceptional. Jan and Allan host two virtual sessions per week and have supported several of our members to get online to enjoy dancing from home – even sitting on the doorstep of members during the winter months to assist with the digital transition!

The dancing duo has gone further with their digital offer by hosting events such as an online tea dance – delivering afternoon teas to members’ houses prior to the session to bring the experience to life.

Thanks to their efforts to “keep dancing”, their classes are enjoyed by 25 members who regularly take part.

Andrea, LifeTime Officer, said “We wouldn’t be able to deliver the vast variety of clubs and classes to our LifeTime members without the incredible commitment and talents of our volunteers.

“Jan and Allan have gone above and beyond to ensure we can dance away our blues and keep moving at a time when it has felt more challenging than ever. We want to say a massive thank you to them both.”

According to the NHS website says, ‘Regular dancing is great for losing weight, maintaining strong bones, improving posture and muscle strength, increasing balance and coordination and beating stress.”

If you’re interested in joining Jan and Allan’s dance classes, join us at https://lifetimegateway.org.uk/join-us/