Impact Report: 2025 Day of Dance

By Theodora (Tia) Mircea, Research and Impact Director

Hip Hop to Help is a not-for-profit dance charity that provides free and accessible dance classes for all. A free Day of Dance is provided annually.

1. About Hip Hop to Help 

1.1. An Overview of Hip Hop to Help 

Hip Hop to Help aims to make dance financially accessible for all. Hip Hop to Help’s purpose is  empowering change and making a positive impact through linking dance, community and well-being. The  vision of Hip Hop to Help is to be the most financially accessible dance charity in England, by providing  everybody, from all backgrounds, the opportunity to dance. The mission is to be the universally  recognised dance service that is financially accessible. 

Target areas for activity include London, ensuring classes are taught across various locations for  widespread impact. The English Indices of Deprivation Postcode Look Up supports Hip Hop to Help to  target low-income areas to provide free dance classes. Hip Hop to Help also uses free school meals data  when delivering classes in schools and community centres. Data is collected at classes to measure the  impact of dance classes and if target areas contribute to the dance charity mission.  

The strategic goals of Hip Hop to Help are: 

• Make a positive impact in communities by providing financially accessible dance classes and safe  spaces to people from a lower socio-economic background, building a community. 

• Improve people’s social and emotional wellbeing through dance.  

• Deliver through partnerships, working with dance professionals, organisations and the third  sector to provide dance initiatives. 

1.2. The Beginning of Hip Hop to Help 

Hip Hop to Help was founded by Amber-Louise Pocklington in June 2017. The idea was born as Amber Louise was a young carer from eleven years old for her mother, from a single parent, low-income  background. Amber had danced since three years old, however when her mother had an accident that  resulted in physical and mental disability her life changed. Dance classes were difficult to afford and  access. 

When Amber gained a scholarship to University, through social mobility she found herself in a position  where she could afford to dance again. She wanted to make a change in the dance industry to help those  who may have faced similar difficulties growing up unable to afford dance. 

At twenty years old, whilst volunteering at the local Homeless Shelter, Amber had the idea to put on a  free dance class in the local community with an optional donation for the Shelter. Fast forward seven years, Hip Hop to Help now operates as a not-for-profit dance organisation that has raised funding to  put on free dance classes for communities in need, as well as Day of Dance initiatives and well-being classes, with a team of 14 incredible core volunteers leading Hip Hop to Help activity. Hip Hop to Help  has delivered over 130 free dance classes for over 1000 dancers, by over 50 teachers.  d

2. Summary of Day of Dance 2025

2.1. Where was the Day of Dance delivered? 

In 2025, the Day of Dance took place at Atrium B, Broadcast Centre, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Here East, London E15 2GW. This location lies in the London Borough of Hackney. Hackney is among England’s most deprived local authorities, with approximately 11 % of neighbourhoods in the worst 10 % nationally as per the 2019 Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). Child poverty is significantly above average: circa 45 % of children live in low‑income households (after housing costs) - nearly 1.8 times more income-deprived than average London areas. 

Here East benefits from exceptional transport link, including DLR, Jubilee Line, Elizabeth Line, Stratford Overground and bus services, ensuring swift access across East London. Positioning the Day of Dance at Here East in Hackney Wick reinforces the event’s strategic objective: enabling meaningful engagement within London’s most deprived communities. The venue's accessibility, alongside Hackney’s pronounced socio-economic needs, underscores a deliberate commitment to inclusion, community reach and social impact in 2025.

2.2. Who delivered the Day of Dance? 

In 2025, the Day of Dance was delivered by a committed team of Hip Hop to Help volunteers, all of whom were DBS checked and supported by designated safeguarding and first aid leads. The volunteers included Amber-Louise Pocklington, Louise Bottom, Phoebe Singer, Courtney Nicholson, who also acted as Safeguarding Lead, Liana Smith-Weir, who was the First Aid contact, Kim Palmer-Thompson, Ben Nuga, Blessing Alalade, Darcy Luu, Bernadette Moor and Megan Newman. Alongside them, five professional dance teachers, selected for their expertise and experience in their respective styles, led classes across the day, ensuring participants received both high quality instruction and an educational experience. 

2.3. What was delivered at the Day of Dance? 

The Day of Dance included five dance classes. Marlon “Swoosh” Wallen opened the programme with a class in Locking, followed by Louis Lewinson who taught Hip Hop and Liz Kamille who delivered a Commercial session before the lunch break. In the afternoon, Erica Da Silva led a Latin Commercial class and the day concluded with Afrofusion taught by Fumy Opeyemi. Together, the combined efforts of volunteers and professional teachers created a supportive and engaging environment that ensured the event was both well organised and artistically enriching for attendees.

In addition to the dance classes, Hip Hop to Help built on the fundraising activities introduced in previous years by running a merchandise table, coordinated by Ben Nuga and Liana Smith-Weir, which offered branded items for sale with card payments set up in advance. A raffle was also introduced for the first time, organised by Liana, giving attendees the chance to win an exclusive Day of Dance t-shirt and tote bag. Tickets were sold at £2 for a single entry or £5 for six, with all proceeds going towards Hip Hop to Help’s mission of providing free and accessible dance opportunities. These additional fundraising initiatives created new avenues for engagement, gave attendees further ways to support the cause, and contributed to the financial sustainability of the organisation’s community projects.

2.4. Marketing the Day of Dance 

In 2025, Hip Hop to Help continued to prioritise digital engagement, publishing an Event Guide in advance to share essential details on location, health and safety and the programme for the day. Marketing activity was coordinated by the team, with a particular focus on social media content including promotional posters and teacher videos. Survey data from 26 attendees demonstrated the continued impact of this strategy, with 53.8% of participants hearing about the event via Hip Hop to Help’s social media channels, 11.5% via a dance teacher’s social media, and 15.4% through word of mouth. These findings confirm that social media remained the most effective channel for raising awareness of the Day of Dance, while also highlighting the supplementary role of personal networks and teacher-led promotion in broadening reach.

2.5. Community Building 

In 2025, the Day of Dance placed a strong emphasis on fostering inclusivity and community spirit by introducing several new measures to support attendees. Name badges were provided to everyone on arrival to encourage interaction and help people connect more easily. For those who had declared a disability, details were noted in advance and Amber and Louise were available throughout the day to guide individuals to the designated quiet room and provide additional support where needed. Clear signage directed participants to key areas including the lounge space and the quiet room, ensuring the event was easy to navigate. Free snacks were also provided, complementing the social spaces and giving attendees the opportunity to take breaks, socialise and feel part of a welcoming community environment. These measures reinforced Hip Hop to Help’s commitment to accessibility, inclusivity and community building.

3. Outcomes of Day of Dance 

In 2025, demand for the Day of Dance was exceptionally high, with a capacity of 65 spaces in the studio, both the morning and afternoon sessions ‘sold out’ well in advance. The morning session had 83 people on the waiting list and the afternoon session had 6, highlighting the strong appetite for community dance opportunities. In total, 43 individuals attended on the day, all of whom rated their mood before participating, with 35 completing a post-class rating, providing valuable insight into the event’s impact on wellbeing. A further 26 attendees provided demographic information, which will be explored in the following section. These figures not only demonstrate the popularity of the Day of Dance but also underline its role as an accessible and inclusive initiative that continues to draw meaningful engagement from the community.

3.1. Social Mobility 

In 2025, survey results again highlighted the importance of offering free dance opportunities to ensure accessibility. When asked whether paying for a class might have prevented them from attending, 34.6% of participants agreed and 23.1% strongly agreed, meaning that over half of respondents indicated cost would have been a barrier. A further 19.2% neither agreed nor disagreed, while 11.5% disagreed and 11.5% strongly disagreed, suggesting that although not every attendee was financially restricted, a significant proportion were reliant on the event being free. 

When participants were asked more broadly about the importance of free dance classes, 61.5% strongly agreed and 30.8% agreed, with only 7.7% remaining neutral. These responses show that over 92% of attendees valued free dance classes as important to them. This was also reflected in participant feedback, with one attendee stating, “Great event with the best vibes. Amazing to have as currently classes aren’t always affordable and means we can miss out on training.” These results reinforce the central role of Hip Hop to Help in breaking down financial barriers to participation and underline the continuing need to target communities where socioeconomic disadvantage would otherwise prevent access to cultural and creative opportunities.

3.2. Creating an Inclusive Environment  

In 2025, participants again recognised the Day of Dance as an inclusive environment, with 76.9% strongly agreeing and a further 19.2% agreeing that the event felt inclusive. Only one person neither agreed nor disagreed, and no participants disagreed, demonstrating that inclusivity remains a clear strength of the event. Feedback from attendees reinforced these findings, with one participant commenting, “Very inclusive and welcoming, all staff were polite and friendly, very accommodating. Would love to come back even if I had to pay. Outstanding company 🤩.” These results highlight that Hip Hop to Help continues to foster a supportive, welcoming atmosphere, ensuring people of all backgrounds and abilities feel comfortable, valued and part of the community.

3.3. Attendee Experience with Hip Hop to Help 

The Day of Dance once again delivered a highly positive experience for attendees. All participants reported enjoying the event, with 80.8% strongly agreeing and 19.2% agreeing that they enjoyed the day. Social connection was also a clear outcome, as 46.2% strongly agreed and 26.9% agreed that it was easy to meet new people, although 23.1% neither agreed nor disagreed, suggesting there remains scope to strengthen opportunities for interaction. One participant reflected that it “could be more social if people had lunch break together somewhere you can cool down,” highlighting a potential area for improvement in encouraging structured social time alongside the classes.

Recommendations of the event remained very high, with 92.3% strongly agreeing and 7.7% agreeing that they would recommend Hip Hop to Help to a friend, reflecting strong trust in the organisation and its impact. Wellbeing outcomes were equally positive, with average mood scores rising from 7.6 before the classes (n = 43) to 9.6 afterwards (n = 35), representing an absolute improvement of two points on a ten-point scale. While eight participants did not provide an after score, the uplift across those who did demonstrates a clear positive effect of the event on participants’ mood, confirming the value of the Day of Dance in combining movement, community and enjoyment. Participant feedback reinforced these findings, with attendees commenting “Hip Hop to Help is amazing, we appreciate you all, thank you” and “Such an amazing day to make new friends and have fun! Bring it backkkk.” These quotes capture the energy and enthusiasm of the day, highlighting the strong sense of joy, gratitude and social connection it fostered.

3.4. Reach of underrepresented groups

Attendee data collected this year provides valuable insight into who the Day of Dance is reaching and demonstrates that the event is successfully engaging underrepresented communities. Nearly half of participants (46.2%) identified as Black, African, Caribbean or Black British, with a further 19.2% identifying as mixed or multiple ethnic groups and 15.4% as Asian or Asian British. This reflects strong participation from groups who are often underrepresented in cultural and creative activities. Household income data further underscores the importance of free provision, with 46.2% of respondents reporting an annual household income of less than £10,000 and a further 26.9% between £30,000 and £40,000. When asked directly whether financial reasons had ever made it difficult for them to take part in dance or similar activities, 61.5% said yes, while 19.2% preferred not to say and 19.2% said no. 

Postcode data provided by 19 participants offers further insight into the socioeconomic profile of attendees. Analysis of Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) deciles shows that more than two thirds of participants came from areas ranked among the most deprived half of the country. Specifically, 21.1% of attendees lived in neighbourhoods within decile 2, and a further 26.3% were from decile 3, indicating that nearly half of participants were drawn from the bottom 30% of most deprived areas nationally. Additional concentrations were observed in deciles 4 and 5, each accounting for just over one fifth of respondents, while only a small minority came from less deprived areas, including a single participant from decile 6 and one from decile 10. Taken together, these findings highlight that the Day of Dance is successfully removing financial and structural barriers to access, reaching individuals who might otherwise be excluded from opportunities to participate in dance.

4. Conclusion

In conclusion, the Day of Dance in July 2025 reinforced Hip Hop to Help’s growing impact in breaking down barriers to participation in dance and fostering inclusion within the East London community. The event sold out both sessions, with high levels of demand and strong waiting lists highlighting the appetite for accessible cultural opportunities. Attendees reported significant improvements in mood and wellbeing, positive social connections, and overwhelmingly endorsed the importance of free dance provision in enabling their participation. Demographic and postcode data showed that the event successfully reached individuals from underrepresented ethnic groups, households on lower incomes, and communities living in some of the most deprived areas nationally, demonstrating tangible progress in targeting those most in need of opportunities. The 2025 Day of Dance was a vibrant, welcoming celebration of movement, culture and community, and Hip Hop to Help remains committed to ensuring that dance is financially accessible for all.

If you would like to learn more about Hip Hop to Help, visit our website www.hiphoptohelp.org.uk

 or follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok @hiphoptohelp.