Malvern Folk Dance Group

05/04/2022

We are back dancing on 25th April. It's been a long time since we've all been together and we can't wait to see you all again. Laura Hodges will be calling for us. See you then.

11/09/2021

The Committee at MFDG have decided not to reopen the club for the time being and not to host the Tea Dance at Hanley Swan this year. They will review the situation in the New Year.

For more information please contact the Secretary, Mike Davis (01684 569864)

06/08/2021

News from Tony Matthews:
Some of you will have heard and some may be a little surprised, but since we last all met at MFDG Heather and I have been house hunting and we are now about to move away from Malvern.
It's such a shame that we haven't had the chance to say goodbye properly at the Club, but we are only going as far as Cheltenham, so we hope that we will see many of you again at one of the local dances when things get back to normal.

This will mean, of course, that I am resigning as Chair but I am leaving you in the very safe hands of my fellow committee members, and a new Chair will be elected in due course. Mike Davis will get in touch with everyone soon to discuss plans for re-opening the club when it is safe to do so.

It's eight years now since Heather and I first took up English Country Dance, first at the U3A and then at Malvern Club and we have loved every minute of it. A big thank you to all those club members who first welcomed us in (and are still here!) and to all of you for entrusting me with the role of Chair and for all the support you have given us.

Cheerio for now and enjoy your dancing. Don't worry if you are feeling a little rusty - we are all in the same boat! 😄

20/02/2021

Virtual AGM – February 2021

1. Introduction

Due to the current Covid restrictions it is not possible to meet for our AGM this year. The committee do not think that it would be practical for us to arrange a Zoom meeting and so we have decided to send out written reports to all members and to post on our page.

2. Election of chairman. committee members and officers

As it does not seem practical to hold elections this year the existing office holders have agreed, with your permission, to continue to serve for another twelve months as follows:

Chair: Tony Matthews
Treasurer: Marion Couston,
Deputy Treasurer: Pat Turner,
Secretary: Mike Davis,
Other Committee Members: Carol Williams & Rosemary Davis.

Unless anyone contacts the Chair within the next 14 days to object to this proposal, I will assume that this is acceptable.

3. Chair’s Report

Well, what a very unusual and challenging year this has been for everyone. Very little dancing involved for most of us I’m afraid! I do hope that you are all remaining healthy and that you are receiving any support that you need. Please keep in touch and do let me know if we can help with anything, especially if you live alone, even if it is just that you need someone to chat to.
You can email me or phone 07910 168153.

As always, my thanks go to the committee members and to our callers. I have not worked them very hard this year, but we have kept things ticking over, and I am very pleased that they will be here to pick up the reigns once more just as soon as we are allowed to meet again.

However, I think I shall have to ask the callers to be gentle with us. Some of us might be a bit rusty!

Tony

4. Treasurer’s Report

This, as we are all aware, has been a very strange year, and there has been little movement in the Accounts for the Group. Sadly, naturally, there was a small deficit for the year due to the small number of weeks we were able to meet. This amounted to £52.49. I think this was less than perhaps it could have been and is well within our reserves.

As the Hall Hire for St. Andrews is paid in arrears, this has not yet been invoiced or paid for January and February 2020 but this will be picked up in this year’s accounts.

I know we all look forward to some form of normality, but it will not be what we were used to, I am afraid.

Marion

5. Secretary’s Report

We have been unable to meet now for almost a year. It has been strange not being able to dance. Highnam group have carried out virtual dances which are “different” but certainly allow you to keep in touch and keep your hand in. If there was sufficient interest I’m sure we could arrange a virtual dance using the “zoom” computer app.

The annual dance on 3rd October was cancelled last year but the hall, the callers Laura Hodges, Brian Stanton and the band Patchwork are pencilled in for 2nd October 2021. Let’s hope things are looking a lot better by then!

I do hope you are all keeping well and we look forward to seeing you again at St Andrews.

Mike

6. AOB

Please let the Chair or Secretary know if there is anything else you wish to raise.

😀

31/12/2020

...or to walk on if you are bold enough!

31/12/2020

A very Happy New Year to all would-be dancers!
We WILL meet again in 2021.
Meanwhile at least we have the beautiful Malvern hills to look at....

23/12/2020

18/12/2020

Well, what a tough year it has been for everyone and what a strange Christmas!
I hope that you are all keeping safe and well and that you have found your own way to get through this. Some of us have been lucky enough to be able to dance at home with “virtual” calling via the magic of Zoom. Even so I am sure we are all looking forward to meeting up and dancing together again in reality. Hopefully, this will become possible sometime next year as the vaccines are rolled out and the disease begins to subside. I will keep you informed once we are able to start making plans again.
In the meantime, I hope you have an enjoyable Christmas with or without families as individual circumstances allow. Please let me know how you are getting on and send me any news you want to share with other MFDG friends via these emails and/or our page.
See you all in 2021!
Best wishes,
Tony

07/09/2020

Hi everybody!

I hope you are all well and Covid-free and that some element of "normality" is returning to your life!

Sadly this cannot include dance at the moment. Normally, Malvern Club would be starting our Autumn term right now and looking forward to our annual dance in Hanley Swan next month. I am sorry to report that we have had to cancel this event, but we have made bookings for next year so please put this date in your diaries:
2nd October 2021 when we hope normality will have returned .

More details of that nearer the time. Meanwhile, I will let you know as soon as we can think of meeting again at St Andrew's.

Best wishes,
Tony Matthews (Chair) 🕺