Royal Scottish Country Dance Society Belfast Branch

Public benefits

a. The benefits of preserving and furthering the practice of traditional SCD are raising public awareness, learning new skills and remaining faithful to this traditional form of dance while at the same time responding to the demands of a living and growing tradition. Further benefits are improved mobility and social interaction. b. The benefits

of providing instruction in the dancing of SCD are increasing the knowledge and skill of dancers. It is well established that regular physical activity can improve health. SCD can help maintain/improve mobility, prevent disease eg high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer. As a weight-bearing exercise, SCD has been shown to help reduce the risk of osteoporosis. c. The benefits of promoting the enjoyment and appreciation of SCD are improved mental health in that it can prevent/reduce depression, promote/maintain positive self-esteem, be of benefit to the bereaved and reduce risk of Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. The social component of SCD promotes teamwork, empathy and develops a sense of community and enjoyment, encourages further participation and long-term involvement in physical activity. This form of dance does not require participants to be accompanied by a partner and benefits both single and partnered attendees alike. Research has shown that SCD is superior to many other forms of physical activity in building levels of fitness and that it is an effective recreational exercise for particular types of fitness in later life. d. The benefits of raising wider public knowledge and awareness of SCD are increased participation in SCD in Northern Ireland. a. The benefits of preserving and furthering the practice of traditional SCD are demonstrated by running regular instructional classes, workshops, annual celebration events and demonstrations, publishing books/CDs/videos and by social media presence. b. The benefits of providing instruction in SCD are demonstrated by increased/ongoing attendance at regular classes, improvement in dancers’ skills and knowledge enabling participation at a more advanced level as well as the ability of many dancers to continue dancing well into senior years. c. The benefits of promoting the enjoyment and appreciation of SCD are demonstrated by positive feedback from dancers, dancers' continuing attendance of classes/events, visitors attendance of classes/events and by requests for demonstrations. d. The benefits of raising wider public knowledge and awareness of SCD are demonstrated by visits from international dancers, by requests for books/leaflets/CDs/videos and by traffic on social media. During dancing there is a slight possibility of accident or injury. However, this is extremely rare and the benefits far outweigh the risks. Risk Assessments are carried out and Public Liability Insurance is in place. RSCDS Belfast Branch's beneficiaries are the general public in Northern Ireland, predominantly in Belfast and its environs, but also visitors from further away. Classes welcome visitors at any time. The private benefits flowing from the purposes include; - teachers gaining a qualification, as necessary for the charity to function, but which might incidentally be of use outside the charity e.g. independent classes, demonstrations - payment for teachers/venues/bands/website as necessary for the charity to function - musicians performing at events incidentally gaining exposure Therefore these private benefits are incidental and necessary for the achievement of the charity’s purposes

What your organisation does

RSCDS Belfast Branch runs classes/events/weekend schools/demonstrations and publishes books/CDs/leaflets/videos.