The winners of Strictly Ballroom 2014; Lee Johnson and Laura Franklin
The glitz and glamour of Strictly Ballroom proves to be a huge success for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice
On Sunday 23rd March, St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice hosted ‘Strictly Ballroom’, a sell-out Lincoln version of the popular BBC 1 show. In its triumphant return the fourth annual fundraiser raised £11,800 from the sale of tickets, sponsorship and donations.
The 3 hour show, held at the Lincoln Performing Arts Centre, saw 21 couples take to the stage to perform the Waltz and the Rumba, in front of a sold out crowd of over 440 people. The ‘Strictly Ballroom’ trophy was hotly contested before Laura Franklin and Lee Johnson waltzed their way into first place to be crowned the winners of Strictly Ballroom 2014.
Laura Franklin, winner of Strictly Ballroom 2014, said:
“We are both in total shock to have won Strictly Ballroom 2014. Myself and Lee decided to take part because the hospice looked after my Grandad when he had cancer, for that reason, the hospice is very close to my heart. We have thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and we hope even more money can be raised next year for such a great cause”
The winners were chosen by a combination of an audience vote and scoring by a judging panel, which consisted of; Aggi Doughty, winner of Strictly Ballroom in 2011 and 2012, John Armitage, winner of Strictly Ballroom 2011 and Karen and Colin Brewer, dance teachers from local KCB dance school.
Becky Otter, Events Fundraiser for St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice, said:
“I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and generosity the Lincolnshire community have shown us. They have helped to make this year’s Strictly Ballroom the most successful in our history.
“Firstly I would like to congratulate our very talented winners Laura and Lee; they really did perform brilliantly tonight. I would also like to express my sincerest gratitude to all of the participants. They have spent the last 10 weeks sweating it out in dance rehearsals and have worked extremely hard to put on such a wonderful show.”
Money raised through ‘Strictly Ballroom’ allows St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice to provide care and support to people who are seriously ill and battling a life-limiting illness via bespoke care packages that ensure families can make the most of every second they share together.
Becky concludes: “Every penny raised from events like Strictly Ballroom is gratefully received; it ensures that we can continue to care for those people within our community who need it the most.”