At St. Vincent’s Hospice’s Strictly Come Prancing dance event, the unlikely duo of Lynn Ferguson and 81-year-old Alex Glass shocked both the audience and the judges by beating 12 other couples to win the competition.
The 8th annual Strictly Come Prancing, based on the hit TV series, was the biggest in the organisations history with nearly 500 people in attendance, raising an astonishing £57,500 for the local charity.
With 13 twinkle toed contestants taking to the floor, the audience were treated to quicksteps, cha-chas, jives, sambas and tangos as the couples looked to impress the judges following months of training and preparation, all to support St. Vincent’s.
Senior Fundraiser for the Hospice, Louise Strachan, said: “What a great night this was! So much hard work and effort was involved in the lead up and owe a great debt of thanks to all involved. From Barr + Wray ltd (our headline sponsors for the event) to our choreographers, judges, make-up artists, local businesses, supporters and of course our incredible dancers who have given us so much of their time and dedication to fundraise and rehearse.
“Their efforts were not in vain, as this was our biggest Strictly event to date, raising a whopping £57,500, which will go directly towards helping St. Vincent’s to care for people in Renfrewshire and beyond who are affected by a life-limiting illness.”
Argentine Tango Dancers, Lynn and Alex, put their best feet forward and triumphed in the dance off against joint runners up, Martin Innes and Toni Kane and Joe McCrystal and Morag Lewis.
Alex said: “It was a joy to win the trophy and help raise such an amazing amount of money for St. Vincent’s. I have had such a wonderful time taking part and would recommend this experience to anyone. You’re never too old – I’m 81!”
His partner on the evening, Lynn, added: “I had a fantastic time taking part in Strictly. I met great people, from fellow dancers, to Hospice staff and volunteers, it was just a great experience for a great cause and I can’t believe we won!”
The Hospice are already looking forward to Strictly Come Prancing 2020 and welcome all applications from potential dancers and sponsors. For more information, contact Info@svh.co.uk.