Dance On is a programme currently funded by
Sport England delivered in Leeds, Bradford and Doncaster supported
by One Dance UK. It is now coming to the end of the Sport England
directly funded activity (March 21). Dance On increases the
physical activity levels and reduces social isolation in women over
55. This test and learn programme is delivered in partnership with
Leeds University who have been investigating the changes in
physical and psychological wellbeing. The decision has been taken
to award further work to begin development for the Local Delivery
Pilot programme and Workforce Development Plan in April 2021 via a
grant agreement to Darts. Darts are ready to carry the work out and
they have already built a robust strategy for delivery as they
respond to both local and national restrictions under COVID. They
have carried this learning with them into 2021.
The decision has been taken as part of the Get Doncaster Moving
Local Delivery Pilot Investment Plan 4, awarded by Sport England
and approved by Cabinet in August 2020. The Cabinet Approval
included delivery of Dance On and associated workforce development
by Darts. A recurring theme that the LDP has identified from
surveys, appreciative inquiry and the findings from BJL’s
(our communications delivery partner) work on the communications
engagement activities, is that ‘traditional’ formal
activity is not always the answer for our communities. The leap
from inactive to active is more attractive if we can nudge and
create
smaller changes which are accessible, perceived as achievable, and
provide short term benefits.
Dance offers a number of key benefits:
• Dance combines physical activity with social interaction and
creative expression, thus providing benefits to participants’
mental health and emotional wellbeing, as well as their physical
health.
• Dance can be more effective at engaging inactive people as
it viewed as a fun social activity that can be initiated at any
level of ability.
• Dance is popular amongst women and girls who generally are
more inactive than men and boys.
• Dance can engage with participants from diverse backgrounds
– e.g. socioeconomic, cultural, etc. – and can be used
to celebrate these differences.
The plan for delivery is:
• Resume face to face activity, when restrictions are lifted,
in Covid Secure community venues. Establishing up to 3 new Dance On
groups in Year 1
• Weekly Dance On Zoom classes – inclusive, accessible
dance classes (up to 2 a week)
• Dance On Specials delivered on Zoom x 3 per year
• Explore alternative ways of engagement for those offline
including ‘Dance On Doorsteps’ to involve those who are
much more isolated or frail. Those who are shielding, and who
don’t currently connect on Zoom or feel happy leaving their
house.
• Continue to signpost to online Dance On videos for those who
want to access a warm-up, class and/or cool down in their own time.
Create more content in response to demand
• Offer tasters to attract new partners and participants. This
will continue to spread the Dance ON / GDM message and help
identify new potential groups and geographical areas.
• Support face to face Dance On sessions with some of our most
vulnerable / isolated members through partnership with Age UK
Doncaster
Learning
• Promote the University of Leeds Dance On impact findings and
research publications to the Health and wellbeing board, Get
Doncaster Moving, local strategic partners and at any relevant
national events/ conferences
• DARTS to partner with the GDM team and Public Health to help
deliver the shared message of how Dance can tackle physical
inactivity and promote positive mental health
Communication
• Maintain regular telephone contact with participants to
check in personally, share information about the continued Dance On
offer, consult on ideas, collate feedback on what participants
want/need and offer one to one technical support to enable those
not yet online to engage digitally.
• Identify new key partners in the community, key venues and
locations. (To include Social Prescribing, Well Doncaster, Locality
staff, Community Connectors)
Workforce development (2021-2022)
• Development opportunities for non-dancers (sports
background) to develop dance skills
• Development opportunities for new dancers to develop skills
needed to deliver Dance On sessions
• Dance practitioner training for Dance On team
• Dance training for Dance On development artist
• Work with the keenest participants and partners to support
them to become ambassadors for the project. Offer training and free
sessions to these ambassadors.
We will:
• Consolidate our learning in order to deliver a sustainable
scalable model.
• Develop 6 Dance On groups across the borough running
throughout the year
• Focus on increasing our reach and geographical spread. We
will test our model in a number of new disadvantaged communities.
These communities will meet our ‘Dance On model’
criteria and will be in areas recommended by our Public Health
partners. We will deliver more taster sessions to widen our reach,
promote the sessions and to test the ground for new groups to be
established.
• Ensure 60% of the programme is sustainable. By sustainable
we mean the number of participants attending, each paying £3
per session will cover the cost of the room hire and the artist
delivering. This will not cover the cost of the project management
and admin team collecting any necessary data.
• Invest in development time and share the research findings
more widely with a wide range of national, regional and local
partners.
• Recruit Dance On Champions - active community members,
connected with the wider community offer (e.g. church, day
centre).
• Develop our workforce (as per our Test and Learn Workforce
Development Proposal).
• Upskill communities and partners. Support partners to
deliver in their existing services such as with Age UK.
• Develop our local Dance Champions to maintain growth, to
advocate locally and attract more people to attend. Support and
reward their engagement, encouraging them to bring together more
isolated members of the community.
The costs associated with the above is £110,078 over 2 years.
The budget has been identified from the Local Delivery Pilot grant
awarded by Sport England, meaning there is no funding being sought
from existing Council Budgets.
Decision type: Non-key
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Notice of proposed decision first published: 08/04/2021
Decision due: 7 Apr 2021 by Director of Public Health
Contact: Samantha Blakeley Email: Samantha.Blakeley@doncaster.gov.uk.