Community Fund helps star dancers

Last modified: 29 Jul 2020 10:40am

A brand new dance workshop for children and young adults living with disabilities has started in Lincoln, running during school terms.

The workshop is run by The StarJam Charitable Trust to give young New Zealanders with disabilities a chance to feel like a star and develop life skills and friendships through music and dance. It is supported by the Selwyn Community Fund.

Established in 2018, the Council fund supports groups and organisations that contribute to community wellbeing. The fund is available for Selwyn – based not-for-profit community groups that are looking to run a project, event, or initiative in the Selwyn district.

The Council supported StarJam by providing the Lincoln Event Centre for the workshop “Southern Groovers,” run by one tutor and three volunteers. The free workshop is already booked out with 12 young people  or ‘Jammers’ already signed up.

It is the second StarJam workshop alongside one run at the Rolleston Community Centre on Tuesday evenings. StarJam are extremely grateful for the funding which will open opportunities for more workshops in the area, trust grants writer Fiona Rouse says. “This funding will ensure the safe and successful delivery of StarJam’s workshops, performances and community social events benefiting young people with disabilities who attend the Lincoln weekly workshops.”

StarJam host lots of other free workshops weekly up and down the country, teaching youth aged 6 to 25 with disabilities how to dance, play drums, guitar and sing. One of the previous workshop’s participants, Katrina, said StarJam makes her feel cool and like she’s a superstar. These workshops enable 540 youth to participate every year, regardless of their disability.

Applications for round two of funding from the Community Fund and are open and can be made through our community fund page. Applications close on Thursday 30 April.