TSB Partners to Get Their Hands Dirty for Swindon Dance and the Town Hall Tomorrow

TSB Partners from various across Bristol and Wiltshire will be gardening, painting and decorating at the historic Swindon Town Hall on Wednesday 21 October. Partly to help the organisation prepare for the Duke of Kent's visit on Monday 27th October, but also to give something back to the community and help charities through employee volunteering.

Natasha Hughes and Robyn Leigh of TSB Swindon, who have organised the day alongside Swindon Dance, have sourced some professional hands to make sure the day runs smoothly. Natasha said "It is a real partnership, as we have acquired the help of local painting contractor Steve Paish and also involved the Dulux centre in Swindon. Days like this are such a great opportunity for our partners to connect with the community and give something back. Not only can partners and supporters see exactly what Swindon Dance contribute to the town, they are also given the opportunity to help in some small way. We want to support Swindon Dance because we are really passionate about their work with young people and in using dance to change lives and make careers. It is important for organisations to work together in this way, and everyone benefits!"

Partners will be tidying up the lavender patch in front of the building and clearing out, painting and decorating a small kitchen in the Town Hall, in order to improve the space for meeting hire and increase commercial income for the organisation.

Lizzie Bond, the Development and Communications Manager, credits Involve Swindon for facilitating the relationship between TSB and Swindon Dance. She states that "Partnerships between arts organisations and the private sector have been around for years, but they are more important than ever, due to the current economic climate and shifting times. By supporting each other through the provision of volunteering opportunities, PR events, gifts-in-kind and fundraising, both organisations can feel they have worked together for an important cause. I encourage all not-for-profit organisations to work alongside the private sector, as together we can make a positive impact for Swindon and surrounding areas".

About Swindon Dance - Swindon Dance is an inspirational not-for-profit dance organisation, dedicated to creating and developing the dance, dancers and audiences of tomorrow. We are funded by the Arts Council England, Swindon Borough Council, and also receive funding from the Department for Education as a Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) through our Youth Dance Academy (YDA Urban and YDA

Contemporary Programmes). We are also the only CAT that provides an urban dance stream, and one of only five organisations that work with the Royal Ballet School on the national primarySTEPS programme. As such, we are firmly embedded in the national dance ecology, with a 35-year track record of providing high-quality dance training in Swindon and the South West. We encourage participation and access at every level and age, through our programme of community classes in urban, ballet, tap, jazz and contemporary all the way to supporting the development of both amateur and professional dance artists across the UK. As only one of two building-based dance organisations in the South West, we are expertly positioned as an artistic hub, locally and nationally, hosting a variety of performances by professional touring dance companies and individual artists in our 100-seat theatre. This expertise in quality, alongside a focus on participation and access, has ensured that Swindon Dance facilitates quality dance experiences for all who are able and willing to take part.

About Involve Swindon - Involve Swindon is a network of organisations that encourages employees to volunteer in the local community. The Involve Swindon network includes companies, statutory bodies and voluntary organisations working together to increase volunteering. It acts as a link between voluntary organisations and companies based in Swindon to highlight opportunities for volunteers, and also provides guidance to companies on how to develop their volunteering policies. Involve Swindon also holds Involve mornings where members can celebrate volunteering successes and share ideas around how to encourage more people to give their time to the community.

Since 2004, Involve Swindon has worked with over 120 organisations facilitating over 3,500 employees to give their time and skills to the local community. In 2013 alone, 762 employee volunteers donated 4,474 hours either as teams or individuals on projects supporting 52 charitable organisations and 14 schools. Employers who are part of Involve Swindon's network include Zurich, Intel, Nationwide, The Marriott and De Vere Village Hotels.

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