Caithness dance school stepping up support Help for Heroes
The coronavirus pandemic may have led to the cancellation of the 50th Mey Highland Games, but a Caithness dance school that should have been taking centre stage has still found a way of supporting a charity linked to the event.
The Tanya Horne School of Highland Dance is taking on a fundraising challenge after being inspired by watching a team of injured veterans supported by Help for Heroes compete in previous Mey gatherings.
In 2018, the games – held at John O’Groats – became the first in Scotland to introduce an adaptive element, when Prince Charles, the games chieftain, invited para-athletes from Help for Heroes to take part.
The forces charity team impressed the crowds, even breaking a world record, and were delighted with the atmosphere and location of the games. The team returned in 2019 and had been looking forward to this year’s 50th anniversary event before Covid-19 hit.
When unable to perform this year, Tanya and her students signed up instead to Help for Heroes’ Step2It challenge – which involves doing 10,000 steps a day, or a distance of their choice, for 30 days.
Tanya, who is preparing to reopen her Halkirk dance studio next month, explained: “Lockdown provided quite a lot of different challenges for us all. So signing up to the 10,000-step challenge was a positive one, while keeping us active and out and about in the fresh air.
“Each year at the games we take part in our Highland dancing competition, with the Help for Heroes competitors in the ring next to us. Now more than ever we all need to support each other. As a school we always aim to be kind, work hard and support others, even in the smallest possible way.”
The charity’s fitness challenge comes after research carried out by Help for Heroes among wounded, injured and sick veterans, serving personnel and families revealed that 56 per cent are doing less exercise than normal since the Covid-19 pandemic began, with 39 per cent saying that they don’t feel motivated to exercise. This is despite the fact that 65 per cent of respondents find exercise is something they can use to manage stress and anxiety.
Other reasons given for not exercising as much include having to self-isolate (29 per cent), worries over catching the coronavirus (13 per cent), having no/less free time (10 per cent) and having to look after children/partner at home (10 per cent).
Step2It asks participants to sign up at https://step2it.helpforheroes.org.uk and get support from sponsors.
Hannah Lawton, sports recovery manager at Help for Heroes, said: “Sport and exercise are massively important for many of the sick and wounded veterans that we support, not just to help their physical wellbeing but to improve mental health. It can be a great way to re-motivate yourself after injury or illness and help you realise you can still do the things you love.
“Over the past few months, many people have found solace in exercising and keeping fit – and dancing is a great way to do this. But, like many of our veterans, there are also those who have felt demotivated because of concerns and worries caused by the coronavirus, even though we all know that exercise makes us feel better. Our hope is that Step2It will give people across Scotland a goal to work to – either to motivate them to get back into exercise, or a reason to keep up new habits formed.
"By taking this big step for themselves, they won’t just be helping veterans, but will be doing themselves a favour too.”
The videos featured here feature dancers Jo Sutherland and Eilidh Budge, from Halkirk.