Dozens of youngsters across Dorset received a surprise visit over the weekend from their favourite characters from the Walt Disney film, Frozen.
Popular characters from the animated feature film, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s 1844 fairy tale “The Snow Queen”, came in the guise of Elsa and mascot Olaf and were represented by the Principals of the AK Academy of Dancing School, Anna and Kim Knowles.
Anna said, “We’ve had such a wonderful couple of days surprising youngsters who had been nominated to receive a free visit from us, following us offering the opportunity on Facebook. In return we asked for donations to be made to our nominated charity, MYTIME Young Carers.
“Every year at AK Academy of Dancing we look to support a deserving cause and this year we decided to choose MYTIME. It’s been such a tough year for so many kids and we’ve seen lots of our students experiencing anxiety, feeling sad, with not much to look forward to. A lot of children are worried about their extended families too. We wanted to give something back and see young people smile!
“We are thrilled to have raised an incredible £714.20 and at the same time have spread lots of joy and happiness!”
4 year old Jaxson from Ringwood who received a visit said, “It was so exciting to meet Elsa, she’s my favourite character and she was really lovely to me!”
6 year old young carer Emberley was also nominated for a visit. Her mother Jen commented, “Thank you for the wonderful surprise for her, she can’t stop telling us about it, we keep saying we were there too’!!”
MYTIME CEO Krista Sharp added, “Seeing the smile on Jaxson’s face was priceless, a real joy. We are so thrilled by the support offered to us by all at the AK Academy of Dancing. It’s a wonderful amount raised which will make a real positive difference to the charity, we are hugely grateful for everyone’s support and commitment.”
To find out more about AK Academy of Dancing, visit https://www.andreaknowles-dance.co.uk/
About MYTIME Young Carers
MYTIME Young Carers seeks to provide young carers between the age of 5-25 with the support, opportunities and friendship that help to level the playing field. In the UK, there are an estimated 700,000 young carers, yet only 166,000 are registered as such. This means that the vast majority are facing the challenges of caring for a vulnerable relative, without support from their school or local authority. It also means that the scale and nature of the challenges young carers face are hidden and often misunderstood.
It is our aim to help young carers overcome these challenges, and to create a society which is more aware, inclusive and supportive of young carers.