St. Joseph’s Hospice unveils ten dancers who have signed up to Strictly St. Joseph’s 2022

St. Joseph’s Hospice has unveiled the ten dancers who have signed up to take part in its Strictly St. Joseph’s fundraising event in September.

All ten participants will hit the training room over the summer before they perform live at the Crowne Plaza in Liverpool on 24thSeptember in the hope of raising lots of money for the Thornton-based charity.

The ten Strictly St. Joseph’s contestants are Aaron Pearson, Becca Cordey, Christine Makin, Clare Whitehead, Donna Murphy, Elizabeth Brown Blackburn, Jennifer Swain, Joseph McEvoy, Keri Bristow, and Sarah Gadzina.

Aaron, a solicitor from Southport, enquired about some Latin American dance classes at our partner Marshside School of Dance when they told him about the event. As a huge Strictly fan, he couldn’t resist.

Becca, from Crosby, attended the hospice’s Strictly event last year and had so much fun so she decided that she would give it a go. She loves dancing to anything from Nirvana to Dolly Parton so is hoping for something fun and energetic.

Christine, from Waterloo, says that Strictly is something she has always wanted to do. She says watching Strictly on the TV is like a little bit of magic on a Saturday night.

Clare, from Formby, is a Macmillan Nurse who started her career at St. Joseph’s Hospice when she was 16! Not having watched a lot of Strictly, she says: “I don’t really know what I am doing here, as I truly can’t dance but it’s such a great charity who do amazing work and I’m up for anything once so I’m ready to give this my all.”

Donna, from Crosby, can’t wait to get on the dancefloor and is looking forward to supporting the hospice. She says; “Watching dancing is joyful and I love seeing the journey the celebrities go on. The theme tune alone is enough to cheer me up!”

Elizabeth, from Thornton, says that St. Joseph’s Hospice is very close to her heart. She only started watching Strictly a couple of years ago but now she's a big fan and loves all the dresses and upbeat dances.

Jennifer, from Seaforth, is huge Strictly fan and has always dreamt of being on the show. Jen loves the glitter, the costumes, the music, and the dancing and is hoping she will get the chance to do something fast and funky.

Joseph, from West Derby, is a huge fan of Strictly Come Dancing and is looking forward to raising money for the hospice and learning a new style of dance.

Keri, from Hightown, loves Strictly and is very excited to support the hospice. She is hoping for something up tempo like the Quick Step, Jive or Cha Cha but most of all she wants to have fun whilst raising money for a good cause.

Sarah, from Formby, is the HR administrator at the hospice. She said: “Since I joined the hospice team last year, I have seen first-hand what our brilliant nurses and carers do every day and I think they are amazing. I have no dance experience but I love the sparkle of Strictly. I’m looking forward to learning my dance and meeting the other contestants but, most of all, wearing a fabulous frock and having loads of fun.”

For the second year running, the hospice is collaborating with the Marshside School of Dance in Southport who are providing experienced dance partners and training sessions for the challenge.

Maxine Armstrong, head of fundraising at St. Joseph’s Hospice, said: “Strictly St. Joseph’s is back for a second year and, after last year’s success, we are all incredibly excited.

“We have ten dancers this year and are delighted with the team we have on board. They are all fabulous personalities who will really give this challenge their all and want to raise as much money as they can for the hospice so please show them your support. We are really looking forward to following their progress as they being their dance lessons and get closer to the live show in September.

“Tickets are on sale now and it is going to be a fantastic evening so don’t miss out. We also have a variety of corporate sponsorship opportunities available for businesses to get involved in so please get in touch if you would like to buy tickets or find out more about sponsorship.”

More details about our Strictly St. Joseph’s dancers, and how you can sponsor them, are available on our websitewww.stjhospice.org.uk.

Tickets for Strictly St. Joseph’s cost £55 each, which includes a delicious four course meal, entertainment, LIVE Strictly show and a disco until 1am. Tickets can purchased from the hospice by calling 0151 932 6044 or 0151 932 6046 or emailing events@stjhospice.org.uk.

Becca, Sarah and Clare

Donna, Aaron, hospice carer, and Elizabeth

Jennifer, Christine and Keri

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About St. Joseph’s Hospice:

St Joseph's Hospice in Thornton, Merseyside, opened its doors in 1974 and has held a special place in the heart of our community ever since.

Today, the hospice offers high-quality, professional nursing care within a peaceful, home from home environment surrounded by 12 acres of beautiful woodland gardens.

The hospice cares for around 200 people ever year from across a diverse geographical area, which includes Sefton, Liverpool and West Lancashire.

The hospice’s nurse-led service is supported by a community-based palliative care consultant, a visiting GP and a local network of specialist clinical support.

As well as caring for patients, the hospice provide a range of support services to care for the needs of families and loved ones.

Why we fundraise:

As a registered charity, St. Joseph’s Hospice doesn’t charge for the care it provides but, instead, relies on our local communities and businesses to support it. This support is vital as it costs over £3 million every year, or £8,750 a day, to keep St. Joseph’s Hospice running.

The hospice is proud to be a Merseyside charity and relies heavily on local people helping as volunteers – working in its shops, maintaining its grounds, helping with fundraising and visiting patients etc. It is currently supported by over 200 committed volunteers but it always needs more.

If you’d like to support the hospice through fundraising or volunteering, please contact 0151 932 6044 or emailevents@stjhospice.org.uk.