A community dance showcase, workshops, and merchandise to raise funds for DDLS, supporting young dancers’ competition costs and making dance more accessible
Project Description
DDLS is a local competitive dance team in North Ayrshire, with many young members from areas affected by deprivation. Competing at a high level brings amazing opportunities for our dancers, but costs for travel, entry fees, and kit often create barriers for families. We want to test new ways of fundraising that not only support our dancers but also benefit the wider community by bringing people together and opening up access to dance.
This project combines three small but powerful initiatives:
Community Showcase Event – A large-scale performance event featuring DDLS dancers alongside local schools and community groups. Funding will cover venue hire, costumes, lighting, and marketing. Tickets will generate income to reinvest in competition costs, while the event itself celebrates community talent and inspires others to get active through dance.
Branded Merchandise – Purchase of initial stock of DDLS-branded hoodies, water bottles, and dance bags. Sales will build a sustainable income stream, while also promoting team identity and local pride.
Dance for All Workshops – A series of community workshops led by DDLS dancers and coaches, open to children and young people who may not otherwise access dance. These sessions will be free or low-cost initially, with future paid workshops generating income to support competition costs. This gives back to the community while building a model for longer-term sustainability.
Breakdown of Costs (total £2,000):
Community Showcase Event (venue hire, costumes, lighting, marketing) – £1,000
Dance for All workshops (venue hire, facilitator costs, resources) – £500
Total: £2,000
This project fits strongly under the Enterprising Communities theme, as it is designed to test and develop new ways for DDLS to generate sustainable income that can be reinvested into our goals. The community showcase event will bring in ticket sales to help cover competition costs while also creating a positive event for the wider public. The branded merchandise will provide a small but ongoing income stream that promotes team identity and encourages community support. The Dance for All workshops will give local children and young people affordable access to dance, while establishing a model that can generate income for future community sessions and help subsidise competition costs.
It also links to Local Innovation, as we are piloting a combination of new activities (merchandise, workshops, and a public showcase event) to see which approaches work best in creating financial sustainability. By testing these ideas, we are building resilience into our organisation, reducing reliance on one-off fundraisers, and finding new ways to involve the wider community in dance.
This project therefore directly supports the Community Wealth Building mission by maximising the potential of our place and our young people, while reinvesting income to ensure that opportunities to compete and succeed in dance are not limited by financial barriers.
Location: DDLS is based in North Ayrshire but our dancers come from across Ayrshire, including Kilwinning, Irvine, Ardrossan, Stevenston, and Saltcoats. Many of these communities are ranked among the most deprived areas in Scotland. According to the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD 2020): Kilwinning has 6 data zones within the 20% most deprived areas nationally. Irvine has 20 zones in the most deprived 15% nationally, including Fullarton and Castlepark. Ardrossan, Saltcoats, and Stevenston together contain multiple zones in the most deprived 10% of Scotland. This means that many of our young people are growing up in areas where poverty and the cost-of-living crisis create real barriers to participation in sport and the arts. Competitive dance, while hugely beneficial for confidence, health, and aspiration, is often financially out of reach for families in these areas. By running a community showcase, open workshops, and branded fundraising activities, this project will benefit not only our dancers but also families and residents from across Ayrshire. Events will be held in accessible community venues, ensuring that people from different towns can take part. The project will strengthen community connections across Ayrshire, giving young people the chance to train, perform, and inspire others. It will also help break down barriers by making dance more visible and affordable, while ensuring that talented young dancers are not excluded from competitions due to where they live or their family circumstances.
Proposed on behalf of: The DDLS Fundraising Team is a group of dedicated parents and carers who work together to support our children in the DDLS competitive dance team. Many of our dancers come from across Ayrshire, including communities facing high levels of deprivation. Competitive dance provides huge benefits for health, wellbeing, and confidence, but the costs of travel, entry fees, costumes, and training can be a major barrier for families. As a parent-led group, our role is to fundraise and create opportunities so that no child is excluded from representing their team because of financial pressures. We organise fundraising activities, community events, and awareness campaigns that both raise vital funds and bring people together through the joy of dance. Partners: For this project, we will work with community venues, local businesses, and entertainment providers to deliver a community showcase event. We also plan to involve local schools and youth groups in the showcase and workshops, giving more young people access to dance and creating stronger community connections.
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