Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC October 2025 Newsletter

Hello and welcome to our October 2025 Newsletter,
This newsletter will update you on all things Keep Dancing.

Your continued support choosing to keep dancing with us every week is greatly appreciated.
Should you ever have feedback about a piece of music or particular dance please always do get in touch.

• In this month’s Newsletter:
• – Keep Dancing October 2025 💃
• – Museum of the Jewellery Quarter – Smith & Pepper Guided Tour 💎💍
• – Together in Time – Dementia Friendly Tea Dance 🫖
• – Moor Pool Hall Skittles Club 🎳
• – Daylight Discos October 2025 🪩
• – Menopause Awareness Month October 2025🌸
• – Christmas Party! 🎄🎅
• – Payment Details for Keep Dancing classes 💳
• – Friends First 🫂
• – Could you be a hidden carer? 👥
• – Resources for Carers 💗
• – Restart Next Steps programme for Carers 🏫
• – Throwback Thursday – 2000 🎆
• – Mental Health Support 🧠
• – Keeping In Touch 📧
• – Wish You Were Here October 2025 ✈️🌍
• – Keep Active – activities near you 🎨🎭🥋
• – NEW DANCER discounts 🕺
• – Dates for your diary 📆
• – EasyFundraising 💸
• – Benefits of the Paso Doble for your Physical and Mental Health 🪭
• – November’s Keep Dancing Dances 🎩

Keep Dancing October 2025!

Keep Dancing October 2025 was all about Paso Doble and Ballet Dancing!

Fancy having a boogie at home to October’s 2025 Keep Dancing playlist? Or perhaps you fancy that extra bit of practice on certain moves?

Follow the link here to be taken to October’s 2025 songs on the playlist!

Together in Time Dementia Friendly Tea Dance 🫖

At Quinton Methodist Church

Join us for a heartwarming dementia friendly tea dance, an afternoon filled with music, laughter, and friendship. This inclusive event welcomes people living with dementia, their carers, family, and friends to enjoy gentle dancing, live music, and a delicious afternoon tea in a relaxed and supportive setting.

Our dementia friendly tea dance offers the perfect opportunity to share smiles, create lasting memories, and celebrate the joy of dancing together. Whether you love to dance or simply enjoy socializing over tea, everyone is welcome to experience this joyful, community-focused event.

This event is FREE thanks to generous funding from Birmingham City Council and Edgbaston NNS.

Museum of the Jewellery Quarter – Smith & Pepper Guided Tour 💍

In partnership with Birmingham Museums’ Community Welcome Pass Scheme

Step back in time and discover Birmingham’s rich industrial heritage with a guided tour of the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter. This fascinating experience captures the vital role the jewellery trade has played in shaping the city, shining a spotlight on a perfectly preserved workshop that offers a rare glimpse into working life in Birmingham’s renowned Jewellery Quarter.

When the owners of the Smith & Pepper jewellery manufacturing firm retired in 1981, they simply locked the doors—leaving behind a fully intact workshop that has since become a time capsule of craftsmanship and history. Today, the museum tells the story of the people, skills, and creativity that made the area famous across the world.

Thanks to the Birmingham Museums Community Welcome Pass, we’re delighted to offer this unique opportunity for just £1.50, which covers the administration costs from Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC.

🕰 Tour Details:

• Date & Time: Tour starts at 12:30 pm (please arrive by 12:15 pm) on Friday 28th November 2025
• Duration: 45 minutes
• Meeting Point: Outside the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Vyse Street, Birmingham
• Please note: Latecomers will not be admitted once the tour begins.

Join us for an inspiring and nostalgic journey through one of Birmingham’s hidden gems — and experience the golden history of the Jewellery Quarter brought to life!

To book your space,: please follow the link here: Museum of the Jewellery Quarter Smith and Pepper Guided Tour – Friday 28th November 2025 – Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC

Places are limited please do let us know, admin@xpress-yourself.co.uk  if you are unable to book and we will put you on the waiting list.

No refunds or transfers will be given.

Moor Pool Hall Skittles Club 🎳

Do you fancy joining a new club and meeting new people on your Monday evenings?

Why not go along to the Moor Pool Hall Skittles club! Your first two sessions are free!

Daylight Discos 2025 🪩🕺

A huge thank you to everyone who supported our very first Daylight Disco! It truly felt like a wonderful afternoon filled with dancing, community, and fun.

Here’s what some of our amazing dancers had to say about the event:

‘Absolutely lovely afternoon! Brilliant music, great company, good for physical and mental health, great ambience. Well done! Cheers!’ – June C

‘We all had a blast yesterday afternoon, to be able to forget all your problems and just dance your cares away while meeting lovely people, thanks to Faye’ – Barbara H

We’re also excited to announce that the next Daylight Disco will take place on Thursday 18th December, and bookings will open on 18th November 2025.

📅 Our Next Event Date: Thursday 18th 2025
⏰ Time: 1:00 – 3:30 pm
📍 Venue: St Giles Church, 149 Church Road, Sheldon, Birmingham, B26 3TT

In the meantime if you have any song requests for the next Disco please email Amelia at admin@xpress-yourself.co.uk

Thanks to generous funding from Yardley NNS, this event is FREE to attend so grab your friends, family and neighbours and boogie on down!. 🥳
☕ Refreshments will be provided, and please note this is a sober event.

We are holding Daylight Discos on : Thursday 18th December 2025 (1pm-3:30pm), Friday 30th January 2026 (2pm-4:30pm), Friday 27th March 2026 (2pm-4:30pm), Friday 22nd May 2026 (2pm-4:30pm), Friday 10th July 2026 (2pm-4:30pm) and Friday 25th September 2026 (2pm-4:30pm).

Come and enjoy an afternoon full of music, movement, and joy – we’d love to see you there!

Menopause Awareness Month

World Menopause Day is held yearly on October 18th, making October World Menopause Month to raise awareness about menopause, its symptoms, and support options available. This year’s theme is Lifestyle Medicine, which highlights how everyday choices, such as food, movement, sleep, stress management, and self-care, can make a real difference in how people experience menopause.

Many menopause symptoms can be eased with adjustments in diet, exercise, sleep habits, and by managing stress levels,

At Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC, we are raising awareness of menopause awareness month by dedicating our cool-down song, ‘Beautiful’ by Christina Aguilera. The song is an empowering song that emphasises self-acceptance and inner beauty, which encourages our dancers to embrace their true selves. The song’s message is especially important during menopause, a time when many women struggle with body image changes, self-esteem, and emotional shifts.

To read more about how to improve Perimenopausal and Menopausal health, read our blog post here

Christmas Party 🎄🎅

Join us for a festive  afternoon of dance, entertainment, and cheer at the Keep Dancing Christmas Party!

This special celebration brings together dancers from all our groups for an afternoon of fun, music, and socialising.

📅 Date: Tuesday, 16th December
📍 Venue: B12 Urban Village Hall – centrally located and easy to reach for all Keep Dancing groups

💃 What to Expect:

• A lively evening filled with dancing
• Festive entertainment
• A chance to socialise and celebrate with your Keep Dancing community

Getting There

Travelling by public transport? Take the 50 or 150 bus along Alcester Road. Alight, head down Edgbaston Road, and turn right onto Mary Street. The venue is just 3 miles from Birmingham city centre.

Tickets

• 🎟️ Standard: £17 (Saturday 27th September – Friday 12th December)

⚠️ Please note: Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable.

To book your place, follow the link here Keep Dancing Christmas Party – Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC

✨ We can’t wait to welcome you onto the dance floor and celebrate the festive season together!

Payment Details for Keep Dancing Classes

Important Update: Payment Details for Keep Dancing Classes

Please note that the HSBC bank account previously used for Keep Dancing payments is now closed.

You can now make payments via bank transfer to the following account:

Unity Bank Trust Plc
Account Name: Xpress Yourself Dance CIC
Sort Code: 60-83-01
Account Number: 20447494

Alternatively, you can now pay quickly and securely by card through our website.

Please continue to book your classes via our website:
👉 www.xpress-yourself.co.uk/dance-classes

A polite reminder:

Please make payment immediately after booking your class.

Once a class is booked, it cannot be transferred or refunded.

If you’re unsure whether you’ll be able to attend, we recommend booking on the day, as reserving a spot without attending may prevent someone else from joining.

Thank you for your cooperation and continued support!

We have a little update on how to pay by cheque.

If you are paying by cheque, we kindly ask you to send a text to Amelia on +44 7826 622302 with the date your cheque was posted and the dates and class you wish to book.

This will allow us to track how long the cheques have been in the post and chase up the post office for any lost cheques.

If you choose to pay by cheque, please can you ensure that cheques are sent in the post to this address:
XPRESS YOURSELF
PO Box 18828
OLDBURY
B69 9HX

Cheques will not be accepted at the class.
When paying by cheque we please request
:Cheques are made payable to Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC.
You write the dates you wish to attend on the back of the cheque.
Please note that once the cheque has been received the dates you have booked are not transferable.
You write your address and telephone number on the back of the cheque.
As you do not book online, we will also need to be informed of an emergency contact number for you.
Please note the envelope will need a stamp.

Thank you for your support

Paying by Card

🌟You said, we did! 🌟
We’ve listened carefully to your feedback and integrated card
payment into our website! This means you’ll be able to pay for classes by
card, making booking your class an even easier process!
Simply visit https://xpress-yourself.co.uk/dance-classes/, choose your class, and select the Credit/Debit Card option at checkout.
If you are choosing to book by card please ensure that you check the amount of places you are booking before confirming your order. If you are accidentally booking an additional space your card will be card for all places.
Don’t hesitate – book your class today

Friends First

Would you like to make new friends?
Increase your social networks?
Or maybe you would just like support to engage in your local community?
The Friends First team are here to help.💚

We offer advice and can signpost you to find new opportunities in your
local area. A crucial aspect of the project is to set up friendship
groups that offer a safe space, where likeminded people can come
together and meet over a cuppa. ☕

You can find the team…
📆 Every Monday
⏰12:30pm – 2pm
📍Mere Drive Common Room, Mere Drive off Cremorne Road, Mere Green B75
5AN
📞Call Julia on 07985 270599 or 0121 362 3650 for further information
😃Bring Lunch if you wish!

📆Every Wednesday
⏰12:30am– 2pm
📍Hawkesley Community Centre, Edgewood Road, Kings Norton B38 9RN

📆Every Thursday
⏰10:30am– 12pm
📍Ladywood Leisure Centre, Ladywood Middleway, B16 8TR
📞call Miriam on 079852 70579 or 0121 399 0122 for further information

📆Every Other Thursday from 6th Feb
⏰1.30-3pm
📍Harborne Library, 193 High St. Harborne B17 9QG
📞call Miriam on 07985 270579 or 0121 399 0122 for further information

📅 Every Thursday
⏰10.30-12pm
📍Perry Beeches Baptist Church, Beeches Rd, B42 2HF
📞call Julia on 07985 270599 or 0121 362 3650 for further information
☕Café available

📆Every Friday
⏰10.30am-12.30pm
📍Sutton Coldfield Methodist Church, 16 South Parade, B72 1QY
📞call Julia on 07985 270599 for further information
🎲Activities, quiz, puzzles!

📆Every Thursday
⏰11am-12.30pm
📍Erdington Library, Orphanage Rd, B24 9HP
📞Call and ask for Chloe on 0121 437 0033 or Claire on 0121 362 3650

📆Every other Thursday
⏰1.30-3pm
📍Lench’s Close, Wake green Rd, Moseley B13 9EY
📞Call Miriam on 07985 270579 or 0121 362 3650 for further information
☕Coffee, chat and activities!

📆Starting Wednesday 26th March 25, then fortnightly
⏰11am-1pm
📍Beacon Church, 47 Sandwell Rd B21 8NH
📞Call Chloe on 07955265565 or 0121 3623650
☕Enjoy a chat, refreshments and games!

More groups will be set up over the coming months so please ring for more information and come and get involved

Could you be a Hidden Carer?

In the UK, a hidden carer is someone who provides care and support to a family member, partner, friend, or neighbour who cannot cope without their help due to illness, disability, mental health condition, or addiction , but does not recognise themselves as a carer, and often goes unnoticed by services and support systems.

Key Characteristics of a Hidden Carer:

Unaware of their role: They may see what they’re doing as simply “helping out” or fulfilling a family duty.

Not accessing support: Because they don’t identify as a carer, they often don’t claim benefits, access respite services, or receive emotional or practical support.

More likely to struggle in silence: This can lead to burnout, financial difficulties, and mental health issues.

Includes children and young people: Young carers are often hidden because they may fear stigma or family separation.

🧰 Useful Resources for Carers
📞 Birmingham Carers Hub
Call: 0333 006 9711 (low call rate)
Email: info@birminghamcarershub.org.uk
Website: www.birminghamcarershub.org.uk
They provide carer assessments, advice, training, and access to local support.
👉 If you contact Birmingham Carers Hub, please mention that Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC referred you—this helps them understand how carers are finding their way to support.

For more information about hidden carers, you can read our blog here

Resources for Carers
Here at Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC we support carers. If you feel like you need additional support or advice we can make a referral to Birmingham Carers Hub. Please do just get in touch with us, we are happy to help.

In addition to our carer classes on offer, we are also happy to provide resources to help support carers and hopefully make their responsibilities a little easier – we are more than happy to help!
We have compiled all our resources into one handy blog post for you! There is information about support, activities for carers and information about Carers IF card. Click here to access the blog!
Don’t forget we have a FREE pre-recorded downloadable class for carers. A monthly half-hour session for those unable to join us for our online or in-person carer classes, but don’t want to miss out on the dancing. After booking the class, you will receive a link via email to download the video. The link will expire within 7 days.

Restart: Next Steps Programme

Throwback Thursday – 2000!

The year 2000 marked the dawn of the new millennium! It was the year Billy Elliot premiered, Britney Spears released her big hit ‘Oops I did it again’ and Big Brother Launched its first series in the UK!

Fun Fact: 2000 was also the year Olympic rower Steve Redgrave won his fifth consecutive gold medal in rowing! 🚣

How did the year 2000 impact you? What songs were you listening to, What big movies did you see?

Share your best memories of the year 2000 in the comments below!

If you need help for a mental health crisis or emergency, you should get immediate expert advice and assessment.

It’s important to know that support services are available for you to access, whatever you’re going through. You can get urgent Mental Health Support from 111 online or by calling 111 and selecting the mental health option. Alternatively you can ask for an urgent GP appointment. 111 will tell you the right place to get help. You may be able to speak to a trained mental health professional over the phone. A GP can advise you about helpful treatments and also help you access mental health services. You may be able to refer yourself to some services.
Free listening services These services offer confidential support from trained volunteers. You can talk about anything that’s troubling you, no matter how difficult: Call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, or email: jo@samaritans.org for a reply within 24 hours Text “SHOUT” to 85258 to contact the Shout Crisis Text Line,

Keeping in Touch

To avoid missing out on emails and important updates, please ensure both admin@xpress-yourself.co.uk and hello@xpress-yourself.co.uk are marked as safe email address. Additionally, make sure to always check your spam – just make sure the email address of the sender is one of the above.
Just a reminder that admin@xpress-yourself.co.uk office hours are Monday 8am-2pm and Thursday 8am-2pm.
Please ensure that you let us know of any changes of contact or emergency contact details.

Wish You Were Here – October 2025

First of all, thank you to everyone who has sent images from their trips to contribute to our Wish You Were Here segment! If you still want to take part please email your trip pictures to admin@xpress-yourself.co.uk

This month, we have two wonderful pictures of Junying from Keep Dancing Sutton Coldfield on her recent trip to New York! 🗽

The Statue of Liberty is a neoclassical sculpture located on Liberty Island in New York Harbour. The statue stands 151 feet tall on a 154-foot pedestal, making the total height 305 feet. Its green colour is due to the copper sheets that cover an iron framework designed by Gustave Eiffel.

The statue is a symbol of freedom and democracy, welcoming immigrants arriving by sea, and is closely linked with nearby Ellis Island, where millions of immigrants entered the United States. The statue features broken chains at its feet representing the abolition of slavery, and its crown has seven rays symbolizing the seven seas and continents. The torch originally had a real flame, but now has a copper torch covered in 24-carat gold that is illuminated at night.

Thank you to Junying for sharing. We hope you had an incredible time!

We can’t wait to see whose travel pictures are shared next month…

Find More Local Activities to Keep you Active

Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC understands the importance of Dance to keep your mind and body active and healthy, but joining other local activities can boost community spirit and your own wellbeing.

We have collated activities for you to join in Acocks Green area , West Bromwich area and Yardley area click on each area to see the blog post and find an activity for you!

Please share our What’s On in Yardley 2025 – Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC blog with friends, family and neighbours to get them involved in the wonderful opportunities here at Xpress-Yourself Dance

If you know of any other activities in your local area that you think your Keep Dancing friends will enjoy, please send the information to admin@xpress-yourself.co.uk. and we can get them into a handy blog post!

Dates for your diary:

The following classes will NOT run on the following dates:

Keep Dancing Quinton will NOT run Thursday 13th November

Keep Dancing Sheldon will NOT run Thursday 13th November

Keep Dancing Moseley will NOT run Thursday 13th November

Keep Dancing for Carers Shenley Court will NOT run Tuesday 18th November

New Dancer Discount

Do you have a friend, neighbour or family member who would like to join a Keep Dancing class?
We have a brand new discount for dancers who are brand new to Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC, our New Dancer 6 classes for £12!
This deal is available for:
Keep Dancing Sheldon
Keep Dancing Shirley
Keep Dancing Garretts Green
Keep Dancing Aldridge
Keep Dancing Harborne
Keep Dancing Marston Green
Keep Dancing Bentley Heath
Keep Dancing Quinton
Keep Dancing Greatest Hits

For NEW participants attending Xpress-Yourself Dance we have a special offer of block booking your first 6 classes for just £12. (Classes are usually £5.50 per class.) This is a special offer and can only be applied as a block booking. New participants should send the 6 dates of the classes via email to admin@xpress-yourself.co.uk after booking. Transfers of dates will not be offered and no refunds given.

Please note the NEW DANCER promotion is explicitly for dancers who are new to Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC. Please do not use this promotion if you already attended Keep Dancing classes at another venue.

For more information, visit our blog here

Thank you for your understanding.

EasyFundraising

Support us when you shop online

Read our EasyFundraising blog here

You will be unsurprised to hear that room hire for many of our groups has recently increased.
We are keen to not increase our prices for Keep Dancing classes but we do ask for your support. If you are partial to a little bit of online shopping you can support Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC every time you shop. We are now registered with easyfundraising, which means you can help us for FREE. Over 4,000 shops and sites will donate to us when you use easyfundraising to shop with them – at no extra cost to yourself!

All you need to do is sign up and remember to use easyfundraising whenever you shop online. It’s easy and completely FREE! These donations really will mount up and ensure that we can continue to run classes where you book by the week, and not by the month, with no price increase so please sign up to support here So far £208.75 has been raised. This money will be used towards a monthly hall hire at one of our nine venues. Thank you to everyone who has signed up to support us and have been online shopping with us in mind, your support is greatly appreciated.

Read Our Blog: 5 Effective Benefits of the Paso Doble for Your Physical and Mental Health

October’s dance blog was a nod to our Paso Doble Routine as we gave you 5 benefits of Paso Doble for your Physical and Mental health.
Take a read here, and let us know in the comments if you felt the Benefits from October’s Paso Doble 💃

November 2025 Dances

In November 2025 you will dance a Paso Doble choreographed by Faye O’Connor, and a Musical Theatre routine choreographed by Faye O’Connor

Keep Dancing classes in November are going to be hat-tastic! Bring along your favourite hat and join us for some fun flair and dancing! 🎩🧢👒

The songs on the playlist in November 2025 will be

We hope you’re as excited to dance your way into November as we are!

We are so grateful for your continued support. Whether that be continuing to interact with our Facebook page, leaving us reviews, telling your friends about our classes and booking onto our Keep Dancing classes. Your support is truly appreciated and we hope to continue keep dancing into the future. 

If you have the time please Leave us a Facebook Review here
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel here
Follow us on Instagram @xpre55your5elfdance
Increasing our social following will certainly help us maintain our small business in 2025.

Thank you so much!

We love to boogie!

The Xpress-Yourself Dance Team