Ascendance Leeds: How a Leeds dance charity will use £195,000 lottery windfall to help people with neurodisabilities

Based in Leeds and Bradford, Ascendance works in the dance for health sector and delivers programmes designed to get people performing. It has taken part in the Age Proud Festival and World Disability Day at Leeds City Museum, among many other events.

Over the next three years, it will receive £195,992 in total from The National Lottery Community Fund – the largest funder of community activity in the country. The funding will support a series of existing and new initiatives including Zoom classes, digital training for the older community, outreach programmes and a digital dance, arts and wellbeing festival.

Rachel Wesson, artistic director of Ascendance, said: "We are absolutely delighted with this grant, which brings stability to our charity, enabling us to reach more people with uplifting and fun dance provision for people with neurodisabilities, enhancing the health and wellbeing of people who face mental and physical difficulties."

In 2017, the charity launched Dance with Parkinson’s – a weekly dance session that encourages participation by people with long-term neurological conditions. Ascendance has continued to provide a regular programme of dancing and singing classes for these people and has provided outreach to care homes and hospices.

The charity’s latest project, No One Left Behind, aims to address the growing digital divide that the older community is facing, especially in areas with little or no in-person provision. Its next activities will start in April and more information will be released in due course via its social media channels.