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This summer a number of amateur dancers will once again take to the stage in Brighton for charity. The annual Midsummer Ball returns to the Brighton Metropole on Saturday 22 June and Action Medical Research has once again been chosen as one of the benefiting charities. This year’s theme is Le Cabaret de Paris and Action will be represented on stage by Heidi Skerritt. We caught up with the Pension Manager – whose family firm helps sponsor the event – to find out how training’s going.
First of all, thank you for agreeing to represent Action this year at the Midsummer Ball! Have you ever done anything like it before?
Ha, no! I stitched my husband up a few years ago by getting him to compete in a dancing competition – he was the headline sponsor and didn’t know anything about it until the launch. So that was a bit of a shock when he arrived and found himself on stage! Anyway he went on to raise a lot of money and won. So this is payback really! Hopefully I’ll do just as well for a great cause.
Dancing on stage is certainly not my natural habitat but I’m sure I’ll make all my friends and family laugh.
What made you want to help Action?
Action has been the charity we’ve worked closest with, certainly over the past two years. We just found it unbelievable… all the areas you’re involved in. We asked once if we could help in any way and give them some money and the team sent us pages and pages and pages of all the areas of research you’re involved in. We just couldn’t believe it! And we were able to actually meet some of the specialists and see first-hand where the money was being spent and it was nice to have that input and know you’re making a difference, however small it is.
The Ball itself is on 22 June: how are you feeling at this stage of the preparations?
I am absolutely dreading it! Ha ha! I’ve never done anything like this before, I’m getting hot just thinking about it now! It’s suddenly become very real, especially now that we’re trying to raise some funds. Dancing on stage is certainly not my natural habitat but I’m sure I’ll make all my friends and family laugh.
Will you get any training beforehand?
I’ve heard that you get around four lessons which are supposed to be very good and you get a lot out of them… but I might sneak in a few extra ones just to help!
We know what the theme is obviously but have you chosen a song yet?
Well I have requested a song that I’d quite like to dance to, but we’ll have to see if I get that choice nearer the time I think. Hopefully I will!
Fancy joining us in Brighton? Book your ticket to this year’s Midsummer Ball by emailing Paula via pray@action.org.uk
Find out more about Heidi’s fundraising challenge.