An Epsom dance school is on a mission to raise enough funds to take part in this year's Dance World Cup in Dublin after qualifying for the global competition. Dancers from the area have qualified to represent their country abroad for the first time.
Dancers Aim for World Champion Status
Young dancers from Epsom's Charmille Dance Collective (CMDC) are hoping to be crowned world champions when they represent Team England, but first the school needs to raise enough money to cover the cost of travelling to Ireland. Co-owners and sisters Charlotte Liddle and Millie are rallying the school's supporters to help fundraise and have signed CMDC up as a cause on easyfundraising, which allows people to raise money for the school every time they shop online.
How easyfundraising Works
When the club's supporters sign up to easyfundraising and choose the school as the cause they want to raise for, the retailers they shop with via the easyfundraising website or app will automatically donate a percentage of their purchase to CMDC without adding any extra expense to their bill. So far, the school has raised more than £2,600 through easyfundraising.
Sisters' Passion for Community
The sisters, who are both graduates of the Laine Theatre Arts and grew up in a working-class household, are passionate about providing young girls in their local community of Epsom with the opportunity to engage with the arts and compete in dance competitions, like the World Cup.
Charlotte said: "Mine and my sister's ethos has always been giving back to the community. We're both from Newcastle and we come from a working-class family. Our parents worked every hour that God sent to be able to send us both into dance and do what we love."
"Without the support from our parents and teachers, we wouldn't have had the career that we have. So now we feel like it's only right that we continue to do the same thing to the next generation." The cost of competing is however high, and the not-for-profit competition team needs all the support it can get.
Costs Involved
She explained: "We're raising money for costumes, transport, travel, accommodation, and competition entry fees. For the Dance World Cup, the kids need to have the Team England kit and that's an extra £100 per dancer. So, it's a big outgoing expense."
Overcoming Financial Barriers
Despite the challenges, Charlotte and Millie are determined to make sure financial barriers are not an issue for their dancers whose enthusiasm speaks for itself.
Charlotte commented: "Our ethos as a competition team is we want to be able to have all of the talented dancers who have the drive and the passion to do it."
"We don't want there to be people that can't take part based on financial restrictions, or individual financial circumstances to prevent a dancer with talent from reaching their full potential. Their improvement year by year is huge because they're all so keen and so passionate and they push one another in the most supportive way."
"We've created a community within our dance school that's quite unique amongst competition teams. It's very much a family feel and everyone is all hands-on deck, helping out and getting involved."
"So, even though we're working in the very competitive world of dance we've created an environment where the girls support each other. Getting the opportunity to travel with their friends and make these memories, both on stage and off stage, is something they'll remember for the rest of their lives."
Easyfundraising a Vital Tool
The donations the school has received from their supporters on easyfundraising has been vital.
Charlotte added: "Easyfundraising is a really great way for lots of people to get involved without feeling like they are giving up so much time. Because that's also the compromise teams like ours are dealing with, everything costs so much but you unfortunately don't have unlimited time to give."
"Most of our parents are working parents so when it comes to helping organise big fundraising events, a lot of them feel they can't get involved because they're too busy. But with easyfundraising, it's a very simple thing to do for most people because they're shopping online anyways."
To support Charmille Dance Collective with every shop, sign up here. Find out more about Charmille Dance Collective here.
