A new Sunshine dance group for disabled children is among the finalists in this year’s Victorian Disability Sport and Recreation Awards.
Sunshine Special Development School teacher Alyshia Clarke said the award was an achievement, least of all because Dance 4 All only started in February 2021.
“We are very new and we had to go through lockdown and everything,” she said.
Ms Clarke said there were 30 students in the Sunshine dance group, who lived across the west and had disabilities including intellectual and physical.
She said the groups trained at the Footscray Church of Christ in Gordon Street and the innovative program saw parents travelling up to 45 minutes to have their children attend.
“There is nothing else for them,” Ms Clarke said.
She said Dance 4 All, which is a finalist in the Inclusive Sport, Recreation or Open Space Infrastructure category, was one of the first in the inner-west offering a purpose-designed dance program for students with diverse needs.
Other locals recognised in the awards are Duke Trench-Thiedeman from Altona and Ian Bridge from Seddon who are both finalists in the Administrator of the Year category for their work in para-badminton.
Winners will be announced on Tuesday, November 8.
Details: www.dsr.org.au/vdsr-awards
Dora Houpis
