A Pateley Bridge dance group that serves tea and cake in between dances is hosting a fundraising charity event.

The Pateley Bridge Tea Dance will host a Time for a Cuppa event, a national scheme run by DementiaUK to raise funds for families facing dementia, in May.

The event will include dancing as usual, as well as cake stalls and refreshments to raise money.

The group, which has been running for 23 years, has hosted a variety of charity dances in the past – raising £90,000 since its birth.

Charity recipients include The Salvation Army, Marie Curie, Yorkshire Air Ambulance, and local sports clubs.

The weekly dances, which attract about 30 people, take place in the Memorial Hall and include a range of dances, including sequence, waltz, quickstep, and foxtrot.

Older members feel a sense of nostalgia through the music, which is predominantly wartime and show music. The dance occasionally has live music too, particularly in summer.

The weekly dances take place from 2pm – 4pm on Tuesday afternoons, with a tea and biscuit break in the middle.

The group has danced its way across the North and has taken trips to Blackpool, Scarborough, and Whitby.

Claire Green, daughter of the group’s treasurer, said:

“Whoever wants to come and join in is always very welcome.

“This group is a lifeline for some of the members”.

Brian Weatherhead, treasurer, said:

“If it hadn’t been for the founders, John O’Brien and Pauline Atkinson, the group would’ve ended.

“The dance club has been a team effort the whole way through”.

The Time for a Cuppa event will take place on Tuesday, May 2, at Pateley Bridge Memorial Hall.

Find more information here.