A ballet company that gives classes in Oxfordshire is offering free sessions to the children of asylum seekers and refugees.

Tiny Toes Ballet, which runs pre-school ballet classes for children in Bicester, put its best foot forward in inviting the children of refugees and asylum seekers to come and have ballet classes for free.

The Tiny Toes franchise has been operating in Oxfordshire since September 2021, and this new initiative began in response to the plight of asylum seekers from Ukraine.

Though the company stress that these free sessions are open to all children from asylum seekers and refugee families.

Debbie Bolam, who runs this Tiny Toes franchise said: “As a team all the Tiny Toes franchises wanted to do something to help people who have come to the UK with barely any money or belongings.”

She added: “We felt it would make sense to offer classes to children from these families. Joining a ballet class is a chance for parents and children to make new friends and to feel part of their local community.”

Tiny Toes Ballet is the UK’s first pre-school ballet programme to be fully integrated with the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum.

It was founded in Swansea in 2011 by Emma Morgan, an experienced primary school and ballet teacher.

The programme has since grown to have 17 franchises all over the UK.

 

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This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1