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Working to make dance accessible for all.

Hip Hop to Help is a non-profit on a mission to make dance accessible for all.  We hold free monthly classes around London and work with partner organisations to help people from all walks of life improve their wellbeing through dance.

Our Story

The story of Hip Hop to Help started when founder and CEO Amber Pocklington became a young carer at age 11. After an accident that left her mother physically disabled and struggling with bipolar disorder, Amber was no longer able to participate in her favourite hobby, dancing.

At university, Amber took the opportunity to give back to the community by hosting and teaching a free dance class with optional donations to a local homeless charity.

 

Hip Hop to Help was born.

 

Since 2017, we have provided free dance classes for hundreds of people of all abilities, ages and backgrounds. Our classes promote well-being and inclusivity, centred on our mission to make dance accessible for all.

Trustees

Meet Our Trustees

Chris Stein

Trustee

Chris Stein has long histories in dance and the non-profit sector. He started popping in 1999 in the South of France and has since go on to represent the UK at the UK BBoy Championships on two occasions. He has toured, competed, and taught popping for more than two decades. He brings numerous contacts in the world of dance, from artists, to event organisers, and community change activists. Chris is currently the CEO of the Fathers' Development Foundation and Director of Marketing, Fundraising, and Advocacy at Future Men. Chris has been working in the non-profit and statutory sectors for 20 years, with the focus of his work being education, mental health and positive activities for young people.

Ed Storer

Trustee

Ed is probably the least suitable person at first glance to run a hip hop-based charity, having no ability to dance, very poor hand eye co-ordination and no real understanding of what hip hop actually is. However, he has a good decade’s experience working in large public regulatory agencies and major global banks. His career has involved consulting, strategy,  risk management, internal audit and human resources. He qualified as a barrister in 2012 (though does not practise) and also became a chartered accountant in 2023. His other voluntary activities include being part-time organist at his local Catholic Church, and helping out driving vans for a food distribution charity.

Faye van Flute

Trustee

Faye works with industry partners and policymakers to build a digitally and financially inclusive UK. With over 10 years experience in the finance industry, she works in Customer Inclusion, and has achieved impactful change in corporate affairs. Faye has a background in dance and brings a passion for raising awareness of making dance accessible for all.
Team

Our Volunteer Team

Amber-Louise Pocklington

Founder, CEO & Trustee

Amber founded Hip Hop to Help in 2017 whilst at University. Over the past six years she has built the social enterprise, developed the model and strategy for growth, and managed the volunteer team and dance teachers. Amber also teaches dance classes. She is a former Hip Hop Coach that led teams to National and Grand Champion titles, and has competed in international competitions.

Courtney Nicholson

Youth Impact Director & Trustee

Courtney uses her expertise in social work to ensure our policies protect the people we work with and develops strategies to reach wider audiences in the community. Her dancing career includes coaching Hip Hop at university to National and Grand Champion titles, and competing at international competitions.

Louise Bottom

Chief Operations Officer

Louise supports Amber in the running of Hip Hop to Help, as well as coming up with new visions and supporting the team with a wide range of initiatives. Louise also teaches dance classes. Her dance career started with Latin and Ballroom, before going into Hip Hop and coaching her university team.

Phoebe Singer

Marketing Director

Phoebe manages the marketing strategy and activity across the website, social media, and events. She has been dancing from an early age and has performed at venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Sadler’s Wells and Disneyland Paris, as well as winning National Champion titles in Hip Hop and Pom. Phoebe loves working with the Hip Hop to Help team, work that combines her passion for dance with her expertise in marketing.

Ben Timi Nuga

Brand and Creative Director

Ben is our artistic visionary, responsible for photography and cinematography as well as visual brand designs such as merchandise.

Jon Lyons

Fundraising Director

Jon is responsible for our fundraising strategy and income generation portfolio. As he puts it: “What I lack in dance and rhythm skills I make up for in generating much needed income for HipHop to Help!”

Megan Newman

Education Director

Megan is our lead on educational initiatives, raising awareness for important causes and well-being and connecting Hip Hop to Help with partner charities. Megan also teaches dance classes and competes with The Architects Dance Company at international competitions.

Tia Mircea

Research and Impact Director

Tia brings her research expertise and passion for making a difference to Hip Hop to Help, where she’s all about using data to drive change. With a background in psychology, coordinating clinical trials and analysing data for real-world impact, she’s a master at turning complex information into insights that matter. From boosting patient recruitment in studies to publishing in academic journals, Tia has spent her career blending communication, collaboration, and impact. Now, as Research & Impact Director, Tia is on a mission to amplify Hip Hop to Help’s reach and effectiveness. She’s diving deep into data collection and analysis to showcase the charity’s impact in real, tangible ways. Her goal? To ensure every initiative hits hard, resonates with the community, and leaves a lasting legacy. When she’s not conducting research, Tia enjoys spending time with friends and family, dancing, travelling, practising yoga, discovering new music and trying to pet every dog she meets. 💃🎶🧘‍♀️🐶

Alex Singer

Community Development Director

Alex is our Community Development Director, working across to improve our community reach and make dance more accessible to all. Alex works in community/grassroots sport, providing free sporting events and sessions to children improving their health and wellbeing. She has been dancing from a young age in various dance styles and has performed at venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Sadler's Wells, His Majesty’s Theatre and Disney Land Paris. She has also competed internationally in Hip Hop and Jazz.

Liana Smith-Weir

Dance Coordinator

Liana organises classes and coordinates our projects with studios and teachers. As a dance teacher, Liana has taught young children, teens and adults as well as a crew that performs and competes. She wanted to join the Hip Hop to Help team as we reflect her dance teacher philosophy of allowing dance to positively affect your life, while also opening dance to other students who may be unable to get to classes for a multitude of reasons.

Kim Palmer-Thompson

Dance Coordinator

Kimberley Palmer-Thompson has been working with Hip Hop to Help for just over a year. She started by teaching a class at our annual Day of Dance in 2023 and was honoured to be asked to keep teaching more classes. She has taught several corporate classes., such as with Lloyds Bank, and has immensely being a part of the team. Kim has over 20 years of dancing experience and 15 years of teaching experience. She has taught for companies such as "The Movement Factory" and in colleges. Kim has performed in a variety of places from the Peacock Theatre to Buckingham Palace. Working with Hip Hop to Help has been one of the best teaching experiences Kim has had and she is glad to be a part of the team.

Reiss Hinds

Dance Coordinator

Reiss started dancing at 16 and trained at The Urdang Academy graduating with a BA (Hons) in Musical Theatre and Dance. Having built up a modest career in both TV & Film and on stage, Reiss comes with a wealth of experience. Over last 3 years Reiss has been focusing on his teaching career as well honing his skills in Hip Hop Dance & Choreography. Reiss join Dance charity group Hip Hop To Help as Dance Co ordinator, so that he can share what he has learn and give back to the dance community.

Blessing Alalade

Marketing Manager

Blessing is a Marketing Manager at Hip Hop to Help, where she helps showcase the charity's mission and creates engaging content to raise awareness of the incredible free classes they offer. During secondary school, Blessing had the opportunity to perform at Sadler's Wells as part of the English National Ballet's Dance Journey project, an experience that gave her an early appreciation of the arts. Now, she focuses on using her marketing skills to help promote creative opportunities for others through Hip Hop to Help.

Darcy Luu

Marketing & Brand Manager

Hip Hop to Help deserves more attention! We’re sending such a wonderful message to the world. I excited to grow and expand our social media presence to raise awareness about the work we do. I started dancing when I was young and took part in the dance crew at my university. I’ve since had the opportunity to perform in London’s Chinatown among various other events.
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We'd love to see you at our next free class!

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