Emergency services' Strictly 999 dance contest raises thousands for charity

A charity dance contest by the emergency services has raised just shy of £10,000 for two cancer care charities.

Ultimately won by staff from Rochdale ambulance station, members of the emergency services put their best foot forward for a ‘Strictly 999’ dance competition on 8 June, to raise funds for Dr Kershaw’s Hospice and Sinead’s Cancer Care.

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/128283/emergency-services-take-to-the-dance-floor-to-raise-money-for-charity

Gary Eaton, Rochdale Operations Manager for North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust (NWAS), said: “An amazing night was had by all and we raised £9,666.00 split between the two charities.

“350 people turned up on the night and made it a night to remember, and we are now looking to hopefully retain our trophy next year.”

 

 

Gary and his three colleagues from Rochdale ambulance station won the team prize – Rebecca McNamara, Tom Cheetham and Jason Clegg – after facing off against four police officers, four firefighters and four nurses at the contest in Batley.

 

 

The audience winner was team ambulance’s Tom and the judges’ winner was team fire’s Nickie Coucill-Ashcroft.

The 16 emergency service staff members were paired up with a dancer from Brighouse dance school KMAD, and had been training hard for the big day since February.