Lancaster dance group celebrates £64K lottery boost

Friday, 22 December 2023 06:00

By Greg Lambert @greglam72

Helen Gould, co-founder of LPM Dance at a Neuro-Moves session. Photo by Johnny Bean

A Lancaster-based dance company is celebrating after receiving an early Christmas present from the National Lottery.

LPM Dance, which has been running classes for people with neurological conditions since 2021, has received development funding from the National Lottery’s Reaching Communities Fund.

The £64,209 boost and funding from Parkinson’s UK will enable LPM’s flagship Neuro-Moves programme to continue for another two years in Preston and will also see LPM launching similar classes in East Lancashire.

“We are absolutely delighted to have received National Lottery funding to develop our Neuro-Moves programme for communities in Lancashire,” said Helen Gould, co-founder of LPM Dance.

Helen established the not-for-profit dance company with George Adams in 2011 with the aim to create new dance initiatives for diverse audiences in a wide variety of settings.

The company has developed particular expertise in using dance to improve health and wellbeing and has specialist training in dance and Parkinson’s Disease, dance and dementia, and dance and movement psychotherapy.

Research has shown that gentle, creative dance and movement helps with co-ordination and mobility problems often associated with Parkinson’s and also improves general well-being.

“One of the reasons that dance works so well with Parkinson’s is the combination of music and movement,” said Helen.

“The reduction in dopermine means muscles can seize up and fluidity of movement is a big challenge but through dance, people see improvement during the sessions.”

As well as the sessions in Preston and Rossendale, LPM Dance also provides online pilates classes for people with Parkinson’s on Mondays at 10am, priced £4.50, and Neuro-Moves sessions, priced £3, on Thursdays at 12.15pm.

For more information and to book sessions, visit lpmdance.com