Hip Hop to Help Impact Report - Day of Dance 2023
Amber-Louise Pocklington CMgr FCMI
[Travelling until 7 April 2025] Manager - Lloyds Banking Group | Founder of dance charity Hip Hop to Help | 2024 Top 50 Women Shaping CX
Hip Hop to Help is a non-profit dance charity that provides free and accessible dance classes to all.
About Hip Hop to Help
Hip Hop to Help was founded in 2017 by myself, Amber-Louise Pocklington, due to growing up as a young carer and having trouble affording dance classes. I became passionate about making dance accessible so everyone, from all backgrounds, can dance. Hip Hop to Help has since been putting on free dance classes across the UK and virtually for over six years, raising over ￡3500 for over 15 charity partners through optional donations at dance classes and creating a community of over 1400 dancers and supporters.
The object of Hip Hop to Help is to advance education in the art of dance for the public benefit, in particular (but not exclusively) for people from a lower socio-economic background.
The purpose of Hip Hop to Help is dedicated to empowering change and making a positive impact through linking dance, community and well-being by providing free dance classes.
The mission of Hip Hop to Help is to make dance accessible and free to all, so that everyone can learn to and enjoy dance.
The vision is clear; Hip Hop to Help aims to provide everybody, from all backgrounds, the opportunity to learn to, and enjoy, dance.
Core objectives include:
Summary of Day of Dance
Bringing a passion for dance, well-being and accessibility to the East of London, Hip Hop to Help put on a free Day of Dance for the community on July 15th 2023.
This event aligned to the strategic objectives of making a positive impact in society through free and accessible dance classes with a particular focus on inviting people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, building a strong community and well-being, and developing lasting relationships.
Where was the Day of Dance delivered?
This was delivered at The Hub Studios London, a region more likely to be in deprivation than South or West London, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS) map using 2021 UK-wide census data and taking into account health, employment, education and housing. 2021 census results also show that London’s Tower Hamlets has the highest level of child poverty, 25% above the national rate. Therefore, we chose to hold the Day of Dance here to be accessible for the local community and have a positive impact on the area.
Who delivered the Day of Dance?
Hip Hop to Help had a core team of six volunteers including myself who organised the day and are all DBS checked. Thank you to our amazing Hip Hop to Help volunteer team Louise Bottom , Phoebe Singer , Benjamin Timi Nuga , Megan Newman and Courtney Nicholson for all of your incredible work.
Three professionally-qualified dance teachers delivered classes throughout the day: Whitney Jackson , Yaw Darko and Kimberley Palmer -Thompson . The energy was amazing.
What was delivered at the Day of Dance?
The Day of Dance delivered a day filled with dance, movement and fun.?
“Vibes first attitude. The atmosphere was supportive. The emphasis on fun shows and it meant I was too busy having a nice time to worry about getting all the moves wrong, and I left feeling confident in myself.”?
We were joined by Yaw Darko who ran a funk and locking class, followed by Whitney Jackson who delivered a Commercial class. The day ended with Kimberley Palmer-Thompson who went back to hip hop basics and delivered a beginner's hip hop class. There were breaks between classes to socialise.?
Hip Hop to Help also provided free food and drink for attendees, to support with the rising cost of living.?
Community Building
To be inclusive and encourage community building, there was a breakout area for people to meet other attendees and have free food and drink. Our team of volunteers worked to ensure every attendee felt comfortable and educate them on the work we do at Hip Hop to Help.
Our Sponsors
The event was sponsored by a number of companies, including:
The event was also funded by donors on Crowdfunding. We are hugely grateful to these sponsors and donors.
Outcomes of Day of Dance
The Day of Dance event was fully booked, and over 40 people attended the event with ages ranging from 15 to 45.?
To measure the outcomes and impact of the free Day of Dance, a questionnaire was administered to develop statistical and verbatim measures following the event. The questionnaire was optional and ethical, with all participant information handled in line with GDPR.
The survey was taken by 14 participants. Below are the key themes and results arising from the feedback.
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Social Mobility
72% of attendees said that paying for the class might have prevented them from attending.
“It was my first dance class ever. I have been thinking about trying for a long time but I could not afford them and also it seemed intimidating. I liked that I did not feel intimidated despite there being some very good dancers. I liked that the teachers took the time to explain and emphasise that having fun is what’s important rather than getting it perfectly.”
The majority of participants rated free dance classes as important to them, with 79% of participants rating the importance as neutral to strongly important. See Table 1 for a further breakdown of results.
Therefore, the Day of Dance reached a majority target audience who benefitted from the free event due to their socioeconomic status. Hip Hop to Help should also focus in future on how to reach target audiences further to meet objectives.
Creating an Inclusive Environment
When asked if the Day of Dance was an inclusive environment, 100% of attendees responded that it was. Looking into detail at the responses, 86% strongly agreed that it was an inclusive environment and 14% agreed. This is a significant and positive result and will be a part of planning how to build on inclusivity at future events.
“The team was amazing. I was so nervous I almost didn’t come. Had the best time locking and can’t wait to go again. I said to one of the ladies it was overwhelming being in such a nice and friendly environment with everyone so encouraging, it’s not normal for me.”
As the above quote demonstrates, the verbatim feedback also shows that the Day of
Dance met both the event and charity aims of providing accessible and inclusive dance classes.
Attendee Experience with Hip Hop to Help
Positively, 100% of attendees stated that they enjoyed the day of dance. Furthermore, 100% of attendees left the Hip Hop to Help Day of Dance feeling better than when they had arrived. This demonstrates that dance had a positive impact on well-being. 93% of attendees agreed that it was easy to meet new people at the Day of Dance, showing that the social aspect of the event was successful – encouraging building a supportive community. Hip Hop to Help will continue to ensure participants feel like they can meet new people at events going forward through different initiatives. 100% of attendees would recommend Hip Hop to Help to a friend, showing that the organisation delivered a positive experience for all attendees that they feel confident sharing with others.
Future Offerings
When surveyed, 100% of participants said they would attend a Hip Hop to Help event again.
“The energy was really positive.”
Participants also said in verbatim comments that they would like to see more classes and events from Hip Hop to Help, showing a need for the organisation to continue to operate.
Requests relating to future events from participants included different styles taught, more events like the Day of Dance and a focus on beginner to intermediate levels. Hip Hop to Help will take this feedback into account when planning future activities.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Day of Dance in July 2023 shows that Hip Hop to Help continues to have a positive impact on the community in making dance accessible and free.
“Simply put, how fun was it to just dance! The people were amazing. It was my first ever dance class and I absolutely loved it.”
The event contributed to the East London community from a perspective of well-being, inclusivity and social mobility through dance. The smiles were infectious, the Day of Dance project was an honour to deliver, and it was a day to remember for Hip Hop to Help.
If you would like to learn more about Hip Hop to Help, visit our website www.hiphoptohelp.com, our LinkedIn Page or our social media @hiphoptohelp.
Thank you to our Hip Hop to Help Board of Trustees: Faye Van Flute Chris Stein Amber-Louise Pocklington CMgr FCMI and Courtney Nicholson.
Senior Manager, Operations Development at Lloyds Banking Group
1 年Well done Amber and team, looks like an amazing day!
Freelance Marketer helping purpose-driven businesses make an impact
1 年What a day! Great read Amber ??
Creative Thinker
1 年So blessed to be a part of it!????
Operations Manager @ Amazon?Economics Graduate
1 年Fantastic to see the hard work and dedication paying off!