Stocksbridge wheely get their groove on!

By Luis Register.

"The Venue", Stocksbridge's new entertainment bar, is reportedly seeing huge turn outs after starting a weekly wheelchair dancing class.


The Venue, the new building where the classes are beimg held.

The dance class, which teaches disabled and wheelchair bound residents to dance in a variety of styles ranging from Ballroom to Latin American, is being held weekly.

June Higgins, the organiser of the group, is optimistic about the class's future: "Seeing is believing with this type of dancing. It's been featured on Strictly Come Dancing and is a really exciting project to take on. There aren't many activities out there which cater to those who can't move around quite as easily."

The sessions have already accumulated an avid gathering. One keen dancer being Barbra White, 72 of Hills Road Stocksbridge, who has been finding it increasingly difficult to stay active. "With me getting on a bit I haven't been as active as I'd like to be. It's a really nice way to spend your evenings and some of these dancers are very handsome! It's good to keep fit and be sociable."

The classes are being taught by a group of able bodied dancers who dance with their wheelchair bound partners free of charge.

'The Venue', where the sessions are held, was finalised and built late last year and has since hosted a series of musical and theatrical events. The bar reportedly had an investment of 1.5 million pounds invested by the STEP Development Trust and is considered the first of many steps to recreate the centre of Stocksbridge.

The wheelchair dance classes are open to able bodied and disabled people and are being held at "The Venue" every Wednesday evening.