Aim

Continue to impact new families in our Manchester community, reach wider communities and support more diverse communities.

Help us raise funds to keep supporting new families in Greater Manchester

Dance Like A Mother CIC

We are a Community Interest Company that started out teaching Dance Like a Mother CIC (DLAM) Babywearing Dance classes in 2016.

COVID-19 Impact

COVID-19 has dramatically impacted us as a CIC. Our community and those we reach out to are also feeling the brunt of COVID and in turn it is impacting our income and our ability to truly support vulnerable in our local communities who we would benefit. E.g

•  Low- income families
• -BAME communities
• - Families with low Maternal and Paternal Mental Health
• - Parents feeling isolated
• - Families who wish to ease their way in to better physical wellbeing

We have been selected by AVIVA Crowdfunder to raise money to continue running our business in an ‘All or Nothing’ fundraiser.

Funds raised will enable us to keep running classes during the current challenging circumstances, support the wider community, to pursue our business development and begin building the foundation of our environmental sustainability ideals.

(L-R Shelly, Lydia, Kate, Katy, Esther, Nikki & Charlie [Front])

Originally as a way to help Mum’s get active and bond with their babies, it soon developed into much more, becoming a support group, a community, a place for families to come together, gain confidence and feel happier.

We grew from one class every other week at a church in Salford to 22 classes a week across Manchester and started offering evening Adult only Dance Fit classes, Community Socialisers, Fundraisers and donations for local Charities such as Homestart and Mind.

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(Babywearing Dad Matters event, MCR Day Performance, Dance Fit, Kids Ballet & Babywearing with Twins)

Classes

We provide a variety of classes and groups and recordings to encourage accessible movement for all during different stages of life. From Babywearing Dance through to Adult Yoga to music. 

Workshops

We also provide free and pay as you feel workshops run by professionals in a manner of fields. From Breastfeeding to Foetal positioning. 

Community Action

Lastly but most importantly we provide a community to empower those who attend our groups. 

• We welcome and include all
• Collaborate with local and nationwide CICs, Charities and Influencers
• Run events and socials
• Highlight current events and bring to light important topics e.g. Maternal Mental Heath Week
• Participate in local festivals by performing 
• Engage in protests where we feel it strongly fits in with our ethos

(Mother Pukka Flex Appeal Protest)

The impact we have:-

This has been a huge benefit to our attendees mental wellbeing, physical wellbeing and adds structure to the day. For more info on our impact see our BLOG

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COVID-19 has hugely impacted the way our business is run and has put a pin in plans we had to expand and projects we wished to run. 

Surveys in our Manchester e-community have shown there is a demand for classes and groups to continue  but also shown that attendees are currently unable to afford the full rate for classes. This leads to low bookings and cancellations of classes a loss of earning for the Instructors and isolation feelings of loneliness for attendees. 

Covid-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected BAME communities. It has left many people in Manchester unemployed or heavily relying on Universal Credit leading to feeling isolated. 

Our classes are very gentle and accessible for all fitness abilities. We work closely with health professionals such as Midwives, Physiotherapists etc to ensure we are accessible and appropriate.   We have people from a variety of backgrounds, cultures and abilities access our classes who have been greatly impacted by the huge benefits.
We know there is much more we can do to support those in BAME communities and would love to widen our impact in those areas.

There are currently 7 women who attended classes who have gone on to  train and join the team as Instructors. Some have also completed Babywearing Consultancy courses/ and almost all are Peer Supporters and with two becoming Co-Directors as well, creating a core team of three Directors who now lead DLAM (Dance Like A Mother).

Ideally all Instructors will have Babywearing peer supporter training and all Directors would be Consultants. We were working  to have widen our social impact on families around Manchester and were beginning to branch out nationally by hiring more instructors however current circumstances have meant funds for this have been spent on keeping the business afloat and training has stopped with some instructors unable to return to teach their classes due to lack of funds.

Cloth Nappy starter-

It is a crucial part of our ethos that we promote Environmental stability. The majority of our attendees are parents with young children and babies. Cloth nappies are much more environmentally-friendly and a cost effective alternative to disposable nappies.

We had plans to start a cloth nappy library and help support families from deprives backgrounds access this sustainable commodity. 

We have been unable to begin any new projects.

Our vision is to:

- Continue providing a welcoming community and support that has a vital impact on physical and mental wellbeing of all those who we encounter.

-Widen our reach and impact to more people from diverse racial, socio-economic backgrounds and those in our local LGBTQ+ communities.

-Begin a cloth nappy library

This project successfully funded on 23rd March 2021