Strictly dance contest raises £27,000 for charity

Sequins and sparkle ruled the night at a Strictly Come Dancing-inspired dance contest that raised almost £27,000 for mental health charities.

Sixteen amateurs paired with professionals and took to the stage in front of a panel of judges and 500-strong crowd at the Albany Theatre, Coventry.

The judges were wowed by a series of Latin and ballroom numbers before crowning Alex McGee and her partner Adam Brooks as the Strictly Experience 2025 winners.

The chief executive of the Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind charity, Steven Hill, said: "Every single pound raised will go towards transforming lives."

Dancers rehearsed for eight weeks to deliver their performances, described by the organisers as "unforgettable".

Winning amateur Ms McGee, a vice president at Barclays, said she had danced ballet, jazz and modern when younger but ballroom and Latin were new to her.

"After turning 40, I decided to push myself and raise funds for Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind, a charity that makes a real difference when life gets tough," she added.

Volunteer event organiser, Caroline Bullock, got the dancing bug when she took part in a similar contest in 2011 as an amateur, and later became one of the professional partners.

She worked with her husband, Duncan, and Kat Miekus, who have both danced professionally, to choreograph set routines and help with contestants' training.

"Everybody was so good, they all put in so many hours over and above our set training sessions," she said. "Their commitment was outstanding."

She said she was delighted by the sums raised by the event on 8 March, with "literally every single penny" going directly to the charity.

Proceeds will go to Mind's Coventry Wellbeing Hub, which offers drop-in mental health support.

They will also go to the charity's Young Black Men's Project, which aims to empower and build resilience in youths.

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