Blyth Valley Samba raises funds for performance charity Headway Arts with 12 hour drumming marathon

Blyth Valley Samba held a drumming morning at Asda in Blyth and a 12 hour drumming marathon to raise funds for Headway Arts’ trip to Australia, where the charity has been invited to the World Down Syndrome Congress in Brisbane.

The charity lets Blyth Valley Samba run sessions in its premises in Blyth for free.

Rexie Fraser, chair of Blyth Valley Samba, said: “We thought it would be a good way of giving back to them and showing appreciation for all the time they have allowed us to use their space for free.

“We were absolutely flabbergasted because we did not know how much we were going to raise.

“It was very good all around and we hope that we will be able to continue our close relationship with them and maybe even, in the future, raise money for them again.”

Headway Arts is an arts company and charity based at a former church on Waterloo Road in Blyth.

Founded in 1995, the organisation is led by people with lived experience of disability and their allies and specialises in inclusive practices and expanding access to performing arts.

Rexie said: “Their ethos absolutely fits in with ours. Even though we are not a group that is designed for people with disabilities per se, we see ourselves as a diverse group. We are ethnically diverse, age diverse, and ability diverse.”

The samba group has begun to grow its membership in recent years after a setback when its founder passed away.

Rexie said: “A couple of us that had been in it all the time decided we wanted to rejuvenate it and so we have tried to do this.

“We remain a small group but we would love to have more people join us.”

Blyth Valley Samba’s next performance in Northumberland is at the Blyth D Day commemoration event on June 1. The group has already booked performances in the summer as well.

The group also runs weekly sessions on Tuesday evenings between 7.30pm and 9pm. To get involved contact [email protected].