Sam to tackle the Three Peaks Challenge!

My colleague Sam Schofield plans to tackle the Three Peaks Challenge next month, in aid of the Alzheimer's Society.

Please be generous and show your support by visiting his JustGiving site and making a donation today!



http://www.justgiving.com/Samuel-Schofield

Thanks!
Jx

BID receives ARTS GRANT!!

AWESOME NEWS!!!!!!!!!

STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL have awarded BID an ARTS GRANT towards Dance123!!!!!!

We still need more funding so please please please keep Shouting about us to anyone and everyone! :)
Thank you!!

Creative soul needed!

BID are currently looking for someone to design a logo for the project.

We have no budget for this job, but if you are a creative minded person who is generous with your time and talent, we would be very grateful for your help!

If you or someone you know might be able to help, please get in touch or email BodyImageDance@hotmail.co.uk

Thanks,
Jx

Body Image Dance - second auditions

Great new videos have been uploaded to the Body Image Dance facebook Page...

Go on, have a little look at the auditions.....

http://on.fb.me/iHty4s


Jx

Interesting podcast showing how safe schools and education can reduce the impact of disasters

Found this and thought it was interesting in relation to what we are trying to do with the SOFTys....
Take a look!

http://www.unicef.org/education/index_58536.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Jx

Brief introduction to Lidice

Background of Lidice:

Lidice is a village in the Czech Republic just north-west of Prague. It is built on the site of a previous village of the same name which, as part of the Nazi created Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, was completely destroyed by German forces in reprisal for the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich in the late spring of 1942.

On June 10, 1942, all 192 men over 16 years of age from the village were murdered on the spot by the Germans in a much publicised atrocity. The rest of the population were sent to Nazi concentration camps where many women and nearly all the children were killed. The buildings were then bulldozed so that no trace of the village's former existence would be found.

The atrocity committed against this mining community outraged the British public, particularly in the mining communities of North Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. Shelton GP and city councillor Dr Barnett Stross, coined the slogan "Lidice Shall Live" in direct response to Hitler's orders that "Lidice Would Die Forever!" This gave the lead to the campaign to rebuild the village after the war, which gathered huge support in North Staffordshire by thousands of mining families.

The Lidice Shall Live Movement was formally launched three months later, at a mass meeting in the Victoria Hall, Hanley, with the Czech president-in-exile, Dr Edouard Benes, as the chief speaker.

The people of Lidice will always remember the role played by Sir Barnett Stross and the miners of North Staffordshire.

Brill cartoon - Come on the SOFTys!

Courtesy of SOFTys Secretary Chris King, thanks Chris!
Jx

Lidice project meeting

yesterday afternoon I attended the first meeting for the Lidice community group.

What/where is Lidice?
What is the connection to Stoke?
Why are we marking June 10th?

Find out more by visiting the Art Bay website (the company owned by the Lidice Project founders)

SOFTy Cricket Match POSTPONED!!

Unfortunately, due to several of the Staffs Uni team having exams, Sunday's SOFTy cricket match has now been postponed....
New date and time To Be Confirmed!!
Jx

SOFTy Cricket Match

On Sunday 15th May there will a Charity Cricket Match in aid of the SOFTys!

Venue : Milford Hall Cricket Club , Main Road, Milford, Stafford, ST17 0UL

Teams ; Staffordshire University ‘v’ Milford Hall Cricket Club

Match starts – 1.30pm

There will be food available to purchase with all money raised going to Oxfam and the SOFTys!

Everyone welcome!

Contact me for more info or ring SOFTy Chairman Hifsa on 07825 400099

BID project kicks off with a bang!

Well done to Ellie Davies, founding member of the Body Image Dance Project, for her great interview on BBC Radio Stoke yesterday.

The interview was perfectly timed as the first round of open auditions also began in the evening and went very well - thanks to all who attended!

Big thanks!!

A great big thank you from all of the SOFTys and SOFTys Star Mick the Vic!

This morning we have exceded our total, reaching £1020 to go towards our main fund!
This is fantastic news and we are incredibly grateful for all of your support - THANK-YOU!!

The JustGiving site will still be open for another week and every little bit really does help so feel free to keep giving those pennies!!

Jx

Ellie & Wendy to appear on BBC Radio Stoke

Don't forget to tune in & listen to Ellie and Wendy davies talk about the fabulous Body Image Dance project on http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/bbc_radio_stoke today, drive time!! Good luck ladies!

Follow @BodyImageDesign on Twitter ot 'Like' Body Image Design (BID) on Facebook for more information on BID

Jx

Happy Monday!

Good morning and welcome to another week of sunshine (hopefully!).

We are now only £20 away from reaching Mick the Vic's total for running the Lichfield Half Marathon in just 2 hours!

Go on, start your week off well and donate a few pennies - you know you want to! ;-)

Jx

Nearly there!

We are now only £30 away from reaching our fundraising target for Mick's Half Marathon - go on, help us make it worthwhile for Mick and see if you've got a few pennies to throw in the pot!
Big thanks as always!
Jx

More funding needed!!

BID have been lucky enough to get a fair bit of sponsorship for the performance in September but to pay for professionals (dancers musicians film and sound recordists) they could do with a bit more – if anyone out there can help or knows of an appropriate funding source please let us know!

Performers needed for dance project!!

BODY IMAGE DANCE

(a specially formed consortium of local artists and NULC – Newcastle college)

BID is looking for a female lead dancer (and chorus section) to work creatively over a week’s residency in August on a new dance work project (“Dance 123”) written by local composer Ellie Davies.

The dancer will be involved directly in the creation of the piece which will be performed with live music in September at Newcastle College with an additional performance dates to be confirmed.

The piece is looking at body image and the stages of self recovery.

Open, informal auditions will be held on May 9^th and then May 16^th at Stoke College J Block, Burslem Campus, 5.30 – 7pm. In these two workshops the choreographer will lead a short class, possible movement sequences and then choreographic tasks.

Please email to confirm interest and attendance to this open workshop/audition Amy Tomson (Choreographer) amy_tomson@hotmail.com

We are also looking for trained voices to sing in the work. If you are a confident Soprano or Alto or would like more information about the project contact Wendy.davies6@mypostoffice.co.uk

NEXT YEAR WITH THE HELP OF TEACHERS DANCE THERAPISTS AND NUTRITIONISTS WE WILL BE TAKING THE WORK INTO SCHOOLS FOR A SUBSIDISED WORKSHOP TO RAISE AWARENESS OF BODY IMAGE ISSUES. (PSHE LINKED).

Interested teachers should also contact Wendy the project manager as above.

Body Image Dance!

Check out Body Image Dance, a great project I am involved in which aims to reduce eating disorders in the region by improving body image with music and dance. Follow the Facebook box below (on the right!) or follow @BodyImageDance on Twitter to find out more, thanks!
Jx

Only £80 to go!

Big thanks to a lovely colleague for making her donation yesterday (you know who you are!), bringing our total to £920..... we only need £80 more to reach our target so come on people, dig deep!!
Jx

Mick storms through Lichfield!!

After a couple of weeks away on holiday, I am delighted to announce on my return that Mick the Vic successfully ran the Lichfield Half Marathon on Sunday in a brilliant time of two hours!!

We are now only £90 awat from reaching our target of £1000, so please log on to Just Giving and get donating!!

Congratualtions Mick, you really are one of SOFTys Stars!!