Ballroom dancers host festive fundraising gala for RNIB Cymru
The Hawarden Institute Dance Club put on a night of fun and festivities at their annual Christmas gala ball at the Connah’s Quay Civic Hall in Deeside on 23rd November. Over 100 people attended the event and danced the night away to live music by Paul Crofts, and enjoyed a raffle and locally produced dinner.
Dance group secretary Leslie Barson, 77, from Abermorddu, helped to organise the event with his wife Gill. The group focuses on sequence dancing, which is based on standard ballroom figures. Over 30 people regularly attend the group’s Monday afternoon sessions.
The group hosts two gala balls a year to raise money for a range of charities. This year’s Christmas event was the group’s ninth gala, which raised £1,000 for RNIB Cymru. The cheque was presented to RNIB volunteer Geoff Smith on the night.
Leslie Barson said: “We are thrilled at the success of our ninth gala ball event. The atmosphere at Connah’s Quay was tremendous and it was wonderful to see so many smiling faces on the dancefloor. The venue was decked out for Christmas, so there was a real festive feel to the night.
I am so glad that this year’s funds go to RNIB, a charity that does so much to improve the lives of blind and partially sighted people across the UK. I have experienced issues in the past with my eyes that made me aware of the issues that blind and partially sighted people face on a daily basis, so RNIB is a charity close to my heart.
“I would like to say thank you to the dance club committee for their hard work in organising the event, to all who attended, and to the venue staff for helping us to create a magical evening. We can’t wait for our next fundraising event.”
