Initiative title: Louth Age Friendly County Dance Classes Reach: County:
[ ] Local Louth
[ ] National
Theme:
[ ] Lead healthier & active lives for longer [ ] Stay living in our own homes and communities [ ] Get to where we need to go, when we need to [ ] Be enabled by the built and social environment [ ] Feel and be safe at home and out and about [ ] Have the information we need to live full lives [ ] Be truly valued and respected [ ] Participate in social, economic and public life [ ] Continue to learn, develop and work
Contact:
Valene McMullen, Louth Local Authorities, County Hall, Dundalk, 042 9324 4356 Website: www.louthlsp.ie Issue/ Opportunity: Dancing provides many opportunities to meet other people. Joining a dance class can increase self-confidence and build social skills. Because physical activity reduces stress and tension, regular dancing gives an overall sense of well-being. The class started in Dundalk with 6 participants. That quickly changed as the numbers grew week on week. The number to date in Dundalk is 36. As the classes got larger we decided to continue this success in Drogheda by giving them the same opportunity, five week classes free of charge. From taking part in these classes a group formed in Drogheda to continue learning how to jive and is still running successfully and independently to date, without the help of the Sports Partnership. The number to date in Drogheda ranges from 37 – 42 participants. In Dundalk, the classes are still in huge demand, as one lady stated “I live week on week for these dance classes, I recently became a widow and this is what brought me back to socialising.” The classes have continued in Dundalk through charging a small fee of €3. The reason they haven’t gone independently like Drogheda is that the hall hire is much more expensive, so here in the Sports Partnership we subsidised the cost for them so that they can continue to enjoy exercising and socialising.