16 Jul Walk, talk & dance your way to helping Torbay’s communities

Like many charities, we must raise a significant amount of money to continue delivering our services and providing support to thousands in the Bay each year.

We are eternally grateful to the major funders, such as The National Lottery Community Fund, Torbay Council, and the NHS, but we also need your support.

We try to make fundraising for us as much fun as possible, and this year we have come up with some real humdingers that should appeal to communities across the Bay, regardless of age.

First off, we are marking the 50^th anniversary of the Swedish supergroup ABBA playing a gig at Abbey Meadows, just one year after they stormed to victory at Eurovision in 1974.

There will still be plenty of people around who remember fondly that momentous gig, but there are fewer memories associated with another tie in between Eurovision and Torbay – it was devised here 75 years ago at a meeting in the Imperial Hotel.

Eurovision wasn’t the only idea to emerge – we also got the European Sports Championships and Jeux Sans Frontières (or It’s a Knockout for those who prefer their French translated).

The Eurovision Song Contest originated as a technical experiment in television broadcasting: a live, simultaneous, transnational broadcast intended to unite Europe through the power of music.

We want to do the same for communities in the Bay and have organised a Silent Disco featuring Abba Music (other 70’s music is also available) close to the original gig venue, outside Cantina in Abbey Park.

The first Eurovision Song Contest was held on May 24, 1956, and featured seven nations competing: the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, and Italy. Austria and Denmark wanted to participate but missed the deadline, and the United Kingdom sent its apologies, as it was busy with its own contest that year.

Make sure you aren’t busy on Saturday, August 16^th, when we will be holding two Abba Silent Disco sessions – afternoon and evening.

In the words of one of my colleagues: ‘On the dot, 50 years ago, a quartet of fabulously flared Swedes took to the stage in Torbay and gave the UK its very first taste of ABBA-mania, just months after Waterloo-ing their way to Eurovision glory.

Broadcast on the TV show Seaside Special on Saturday 16 August 1975, ABBA stormed the seaside, dazzling fans outside with Waterloo, before sliding into the tent supplied by Gerry Cottle’s Circus to belt out SOS. Lulu was there too – because when ABBA calls, the stars say Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!’

Visit our Ticketsource page to book your tickets and find out what you need to know, Fernando.

Open to families & kids, 3-5pm at just £10 per person, and later an 18+, adults-only disco from 7-9pm at £15 per person. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or just here for the glitter and guilty pleasures, grab your dancing shoes, call your Chiquitita, and prepare for an evening where The Winner Takes It All – and that winner is YOU.

Slowing things down a bit, to walking pace in fact, we have a Walk and Talk event on Saturday, September 13^th when we will be dividing the Bay into bite size pieces of around two miles each with walkers setting out from Brixham at one end and St Marychurch at the other meeting in the middle at People’s Parkfield in Paignton.

We will be doing what we do best – bringing people together.

You can walk as much or as little as you like, and we will provide you with lots of information about the area you are walking through, including landmarks and a bit of local history. Again, we aim to raise money for Torbay Communities with tickets, available on our website, £10 for adults, £5 for under 18s and £15 for a family of four.

We know times are hard, but we can’t continue without our fundraisers. It’s as simple as that. Your dedication, passion and energy fund vital work that makes for better, healthier and happier communities.

It ensures our Helpline is there with practical advice, information and guidance, delivered by our team of staff and volunteers. Our Community Builders help run community support groups that take away loneliness and isolation. It means we can continue to fight for better care for everyone.

Thank you. We can’t do it without you! Sign up today, and put the fun into fundraising.