Volunteers hit the dance floor to raise awareness for mental health charity
The group performed a special routine outside Belfast’s Titanic building
A group of volunteers is using the medium of dance to raise awareness for a mental health charity and to kick start a fundraising initiative.
CAUSE, a peer-led Northern Ireland charity that supports families, partners and friends who are impacted by a loved one's serious and complex mental illness, launched a Million Steps for CAUSE Carers with the aim of raising £5,000.
Those who plan to take part in the challenge must walk one million steps over three months, which is about 10,000 steps a day.
Those trying to bring attention to the challenge put their dance moves on show during a performance outside the Titanic building in Belfast on Wednesday 2.
Volunteers, dancers, and a choreographer all banded together during the winter months and through a period of strict Covid restrictions to create the special performance.
Those involved started off by using zoom to connect, create and practice the choreography.
They also used the opportunity to stay connected in order to work on their own mental health during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Sarah Matthews, the Corporate Ambassador for CAUSE carers, said the routine is a unique blend of different dance genres, including Latin Ballroom and Irish dance.
She said: “It began back in a pretty dark, cold, bleak January as we looked out at another lockdown and I thought it would be great to collaborate again with all of my dance volunteers who almost every year volunteer their time and fundraise for the charity at their landmark events.”
“So, we used that Challenge of a million steps in our dancing and over the few months in lockdown doing our rehearsals we built up our steps – especially the Irish Dancers.”
Sarah said the team found focusing their time and energy on perfecting the dance routine also helped them throughout lockdown.
She added: “This part of the rehearsing in the lead up to the performance was really beneficial for us all as volunteers.
“Helping our own mental health, connecting each week with each other, and also moving it was a great encouragement for us to move and to rehearse the dance before our performance.
To take part in the Million Steps for CAUSE Carers challenge click here.
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