An ambitious community dance project to reach vulnerable people in Jamaican prisons.

Step For Change Jamaica - Donate Now

What is Step For Change Jamaica?

Step For Change Jamaica aims to support certain at-risk groups in overcrowded and under-resourced Jamaican correctional facilities and care homes, using dance to support physical and mental good health, encourage empathy and teamwork, and foster discipline and self-motivation. These include women, young people, and individuals with particular psychological or physical health issues. This is quite a sensitive area, so to avoid stigmatising individuals, we will not specify what places them at particular risk – but rest assured, at-risk is what they are.

I have started this fundraiser to raise a further £5000, which will help fund phase 1 of the project once a pilot proves the concept is sound.

Will you join me? I would love to take with me on this project a large and enthusiastic group of friends and like-minded people who believe in social action and the power of dance to make things happen.

Jim Fletcher - Founder

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Background and history

How it started

At last, the pesky Covid pandemic is tailing off. During the pandemic, I re-established connections with much-loved Jamaican friends and former colleagues. One of the many things we discussed was how difficult it is in Jamaica for at-risk groups who, through unfortunate circumstances, had ended up in correctional facilities or youth remand centres to get a second chance in life. They badly need access to support and skills in self-discipline, motivation, fitness, and life planning if their lives are not to be blighted.

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Step For Change Jamaica will include and be enhanced by social workers and psychologists who will work with individuals and prepare them for a safe and successful return to the community. This runs in parallel with group work by community dance trainers, notably those who specialise in Dance Hall, a Jamaican form of street dance which, like Passinho in Brazil, sends a subtle message of empowerment against drugs and crime.

All the authorities I have been in contact with in Jamaica have been encouraging, and they want to see this happen but have urged me to be patient! Things take a little longer to set up than anyone would ideally like. I'm champing at the bit to set up a pilot and demonstrate the benefit.

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A little bit about myself

In my career, I have successfully provided this kind of package through several community dance projects in Britain designed to benefit hard-to-reach groups. These have been delivered as Dance4Change (part of The Change Foundation) and the Birmingham Royal Ballet TV series Ballet Hoo!' How possible might it be to set up a similar charitable project in Jamaica, run by locals, and use community dance to improve people's lives? Everyone I spoke to was hugely encouraging, and that has given me the confidence to set up a community dance social action project called Step for Change Jamaica in the middle of 2021.

Through a Facebook fundraiser in July 2021, kind friends and family donated just over £3000 towards the set-up costs and the roll-out of a pilot project. A further pledge of just over £1000 was received from kind donors at West London Synagogue's annual World AIDS Day fundraiser. A heartfelt thanks to everyone for all the support so far.