Hundreds of energetic children from three Portsmouth schools came together to jump, jive, clap, and cheer as they danced to raise money for a diabetes charity.
Pupils from Moorings Way Infant School, Meon Infant School, and Meon Junior School joined in with the citywide ‘Dance for Diabetes’ event focused on supporting the Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation.
Children were provided sponsorship forms to raise money for their dance. For every £1 raised, 40 pence went to the school, with the remaining money being donated to the charity.
Everyone learned a simple choreographed fun dance routine from a series of videos provided to the schools by FunKidz Dance, who helped lead the initiative.
While schools all over Portsmouth are expecting to raise thousands of pounds, the event also had a strong emphasis on promoting physical and mental wellbeing while educating parents and kids about diabetes.
Tim Green, head of community fundraising at the Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation, praised the school for its efforts and congratulated the children on the successful event.
He said: "It has been a joy to partner with schools within the city and FunKidz Dance for this ‘Dance for Diabetes’ initiative. Children were wearing bright colours and enjoyed every moment, which was brilliant to see.
"I am thrilled with the positive comments and overall update from schools, parents, and children. Based on the response this event gained last year, we just knew we had to grow it for 2023. Diabetes is still one of the major health challenges worldwide in the 21st century, so this event was an opportunity to bring everyone together, remove judgement or fear, and dance like nobody is watching to make a difference together through sponsorship."
