Dancers 'get their groove on' with £2900 donation from Earls Court & Olympia

The Earls Court & Olympia (EC&O) Charitable Trust has given £2900 to a Shepherds Bush dance group as part of its commitment to supporting charities and organisations in the two boroughs in which Earls Court and Olympia sit. The £2900 from the EC&O Charitable Trust enabled the group to pay for a dance tutor. The funds also helped the group buy matching costumes for their performances, as well as with publicity and travel expenses. The dance group, which meets at the Edward Woods Community Centre, is for young people aged fifteen to twenty-four who live in the north of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham. The aims of the project are to teach young people the technical skills of street dance and the benefits of exercise. The group performed during Black History Month in October 2004, held at Olympia, and are also scheduled to perform at the Millennium Volunteers of the Year award ceremony on March 19 2005 at Battersea Arts Centre. Regular performances such as these give the group something to look forward to and a goal to work towards.

Karen Kemmis-Betty, Millennium Volunteer Project Coordinator said: “The donation from Earls Court & Olympia has made a real difference to the dance group. Being able to go on stage with matching outfits really adds to the whole performance.” Karen added: “Having a dance tutor at the community centre is absolutely vital for the dance group to be able to continue and the funding we received from EC&O meant we were able to help the group prepare for their next performance.”

The group began in August 2003 as a joint project between Millennium Volunteers, the Youth Service, the Arts Department and the Community Centre and is the only facility of its type in the borough. The Hammersmith & Fulham Volunteer Development Agency (HFVDA), which supports the dance group, works across the borough with a variety of charities and organisations.

For further information on the Restaurant Show:

Becky O’Neil, Marketing Executive

becky.oneil@william-reed.co.uk / 01293 867620

For further information on EC&O Venues:

Krissy Attridge, Communications Manager

krissy.attridge@eco.co.uk / 020 7370 8838

Notes to Editors

EC&O Venues is the UK’s premier exhibition and conference venue manager. The business comprises Earls Court, Olympia and the Brewery, London’s leading venues for exhibitions, conferences and special events. The three venues hold over 1000 events each year, attracting over 3.8 million visitors and 30,000 exhibiting companies.