diddi dance

All about diddi dance Bristol

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diddi dance Franchisee Emily who runs diddi dance Bristol recently became the 3rd diddi dance franchise to be fully accredited by the Children’s Activity Association. To read all about their recent achievement just click here.

Because of this success, we at diddi dance wanted to take the time to tell you all about Emily and diddi dance Bristol here!

How long have you been with diddi dance?

I started my franchise in December 2014 but I was a teacher since November 2013.

What did you do before joining diddi dance?

I taught modern, tap and musical theatre in local dance schools to children from 4 – 18 years. I also taught fitness classes in gyms throughout Bristol and South Glos.

What do you love most about diddi dance and running your own business?

I love working with children especially at preschool age, it doesn’t feel like I am working when I am with them, galloping round the room or catching bubbles! The best thing about diddi dance and running your own business is the flexibility! You get what you put in and I am really seeing the results from how hard I am working. I also enjoy being able to work when I want, having more family time and being able to do things I couldn’t have done working for someone else.

What has been the best thing that has happened to you because of diddi dance?

The best thing that has happened to me would be my confidence, I have gained so much more confidence in myself being a part of diddi dance. To run your own business there is no time to be scared to do anything, you need to make a decision and run with it. Usually is pays off and if not it is a learning experience.

What has been a highlight for you since taking on your diddi dance?

I won a national award for Young Women In Franchising of the year 2017, that has to be the biggest success to date! It really gave me confidence that I know what I am doing and I am doing it well, It can be hard having your own business but this proved it is all paying off!

What is something you are looking forward to as you continue with your diddi dance franchise?

I am looking forward to seeing what will happen next! diddi dance Bristol has grown so much in just 2 years and I am pushing harder than ever to grow my business…The sky is the limit!

What do you enjoy most about your diddi dance?

Watching children learn and grow, to have a child not even want to make eye contact with you on their first class to then be joining in fully and having fun is amazing to see. That for me is the best part of diddi dance.

What do you enjoy most about being your own Boss?

Being able to make my own decisions, grow my business at the speed I want it to and having the flexibility to be able to do things I couldn’t do before diddi dance.

What does the CAA accreditation mean to you?

It gives parents peace of mind that they are in a safe class and it is age appropriate for their child. That I am committed to giving 110% to all my customers and ensuring that diddi dance Bristol is at the highest standard a preschool dance class could be.

And finally, what is your favourite diddi dance theme and why?

It has to be Bollywood! I absolutely love the music it just makes you want to dance!

 

diddi dance Bristol currently has multiple classes running across their exclusive area. They are as follows:

Mondays

  • Emersons Green Village Hall Emerson Way, Emersons Green, Bristol BS16 7AP @ 10:00am & 11:00am
  • Victoria Park Baptist Church, Sylvia Avenue, Bristol BS3 5DA @ 10:00am & 11:00am

Tuesdays

  • Ridgewood Community Centre, 244 Station Rd, Yate, Bristol BS37 4AF @ 9:30am
  • Stoke Bishop Village Hall, 42 Stoke Hill, Bristol BS9 1EX @ 10:00am

Wednesday

  • St Alban’s Church Hall, Corner of Bayswater Avenue and Coldharbour Road, postcode BS6 7NU @ 9:30am
  • Little Stoke Community Hall, Little Stoke Lane, Little Stoke, BS34 6HR @ 10:00am
  • St. Barts Church Hall, Maurice Road, St.Andrews, BS6 5BZ @ 11:00am
  • Emersons Green Village Hall Emerson Way, Emersons Green, Bristol BS16 7AP @ 1:45pm

Thursday

  • Ridgewood Community Centre, 244 Station Rd, Yate, Bristol BS37 4AF @ 9:30am
  • St.Teresas Social Club, 71 Gloucester Rd N, Filton, Bristol BS34 7PL @ 9:45am
  • Victoria Park Baptist Church, Sylvia Avenue, Bristol BS3 5DA @ 10:00am
  • Emersons Green Village Hall Emerson Way, Emersons Green, Bristol BS16 7AP @ 11:15am

Friday

  • Emersons Green Village Hall Emerson Way, Emersons Green, Bristol BS16 7AP @ 9:30am & 10:30am
  • Kudacan, 7 Dongola Ave, Bristol BS7 9HG @ 10:00am
  • Henleaze Trinity Church, Waterford Rd, Bristol BS9 4BT @ 1:45pm

Saturday

  • Church Centre, Quakers Road, Bromley Heath, Bristol, BS16 6NH @ 9:30am

To attend any of the above classes or to express interest in having a FREE trial get in touch with diddi dance Bristol today! You can email them on emily.norman@diddidance.com, call 07850 983821, message them on Facebook at @diddidanceBristol or fill in our free enquiry form by clicking her

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diddi dance Bristol receives CAA Gold Accreditation

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The team at diddi dance, the brand behind the much-loved preschool dance classes, are extremely proud to announce their franchise diddi dance Bristol has achieved Gold accreditation from the Children’s Activities Association (CAA). The CAA is the only not-for-profit, industry-led association to set and raise standards in all organised children’s activities across the UK and this achievement clearly showcases the team at diddi dance Bristol’s passion for excellence.

Set-up by leading industry experts in 2015, including diddi dance Founder Anne-Marie Martin, the establishment of the CAA (a Community Interest Company) has revolutionised the children’s activities sector. After Anne-Marie completed the accreditation process for diddi dance in 2016, she decided to offer the same accreditation to each diddi dance Franchise. This past month Anne-Marie & diddi dance were thrilled to personally accredit franchisee Emily Norman and her franchise diddi dance Bristol.

Over 200,000 children a week now attend a CAA member activity and it is a truly fantastic endorsement for diddi dance Bristol to be part of this ground-breaking national initiative. Emily’s commitment to achieving Gold for her franchise shows her dedication to demonstrate to her industry peers and her fellow diddi dance franchisees that she excels at what she does as well as giving her parents the reassurance they deserve when selecting the best classes for their little ones.

Emily took over diddi dance Bristol in December 2014, but previously was a teacher for the franchise since November 2013, and has since gone on to grow it into one of the most profitable & recognisable diddi dance brands in the nation. Becoming a Gold accredited member of the CAA is the latest achievement in Emily’s successful year as this follows on from her recent win at the EWIF Awards for Young Woman in Franchising.

It is staggering to learn that before the CAA, there was no national, independent association in the UK for the children’s activity sector as a whole. Through the development of the CAA Code of Practice and via their thorough accreditation, for the first time, parents can now easily make simple, informed decisions when choosing from the wealth of children’s activities out there. Just by asking whether the provider is a CAA member, a parent or carer can get reassurance on important issues such as insurance, health and safety, criminal record checks, training, qualifications, class content and much more.

As one parent said regarding the CAA –

‘With so many clubs and classes to choose from it’s so hard to know which are the best and what I should be asking when I leave my children in the care of a class leader. In the past I just wrongly assumed kids’ activities must have to be regulated. Knowing that the CAA has asked those important questions to help keep my child safe is fantastic – so now I just look for their logo!’

Having achieved Gold CAA accreditation means that diddi dance Bristol has been independently verified as having met or exceeded all the necessary elements of the CAA Code of Practice. Assessed by Dr Amanda Gummer PhD, one of the UK’s leading experts in child development and Founder of Fundamentally Children, the CAA’s official independent accrediting organisation, this accomplishment offers parents peace of mind when selecting an activity from the myriad of providers out there.

Anne-Marie commented on the accreditation process and Emily’s success:

Using the CAA accreditation system to ensure all our franchisees are performing to not only our high standards but also a nationally recognised association too is so important to us. It’s fantastic seeing our thirs franchise gain gold accreditation. Emily is a fantastic franchisee with drive, motivation and a fabulous leader in class. This gold accreditation is very well deserved of this award winning diddi dancer”

Adding to this Emily of diddi dance Bristol said:

It gives parents peace of mind that they are in a safe class and it is age appropriate for their child. [It also shows] that I am committed to giving 110% to all my customers and ensuring that diddi dance Bristol is at the highest standard a preschool dance class could be.”

Congratulations again to Emily and her franchise. If you would like more information about diddi dance Bristol visit the Facebook page here or read all about them by clicking here

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diddi dance receives 5 Star satisfaction rating

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For the past few years diddi dance has worked with Smith & Henderson to have a Franchise Satisfaction Survey delivered to our franchisees so we can obtain anonymous responses from our current franchisees to help improve our franchise network. Now, for the 4th year running we have achieved a Satisfaction percentage in the 90s and have been awarded the 5 Star Franchisee Satisfaction Award once again!

Smith & Henderson describe the survey process as:

We invite your existing franchisees to complete our confidential online Franchise Satisfaction Benchmark survey. We guarantee that franchisees’ responses will be anonymous, so they can provide honest feedback. On average 77% of franchisees complete the survey.

We use this feedback to help you benchmark your training and support against other franchisors, identify key priorities and over time, strengthen your relationships with franchisees and your support package.”

Just some of the feedback we got about our franchise from our current franchisees included:

Cannot ask for any more support than we already get”

“Very professional business. A strong blue print for success. All taken incredibly seriously which speaks volumes in the brand being delivered. Gives a huge amount of confidence for the business I am promoting.”

“I love the new system that is in place and do struggle as a newer franchisee but love what diddi represents and am really enjoying the process. The support is great and I wouldn’t be able to do it without the continued guidance. It’s really inspirational being part of a great team.”

“I love being part of diddi dance…. It is hard work and you get out of your franchise exactly what you put in. I love my job and not everyone can say that. My work life balance is perfect and you can’t put a price on that.”

Top franchisors, based on the feedback, are then shortlisted for the Best Franchise Awards – which we won for the last two year running!

    

This year we achieved a score of 91%. To see the full breakdown of our survey just click here.

To be part of our award winning and satisfactory franchise network get in touch today!

New diddi dance classes for Aug/Sept 2017

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Our franchisees have a bunch of new classes starting this & next month and we at diddi dance want to be sure you know all about them! Here is what is launching with the start of the new school term in your area for each of them. The list below is from North to South in the UK.

diddi dance South Glasgow, Kilmarnock, Ayr & Surrounding, email Wendy for further information:

  • Starting 14th August, Mondays @ 9.45am – Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 25 Fullarton St, Ayr KA7 1UB
  • Starting 15th August, Tuesdays @ 9.45am – Prestwick South Parish Church Hall, 50 Main Street, Prestwick, Ayrshire KA9 1NX
  • Starting 16th August, Wednesday @ 9.45am- The Howard Centre, 5 Portland Rd, Kilmarnock KA1 2BT
  • Starting 18th August, Fridays @ 9.45am – Loans Village Hall, Hall Lane, Loans, Ayr KA10 7HG
  • Starting 18th August, Fridays @ 1.45pm- Castlehill Parish Church Hall, 1 Old Hillfoot Rd, Troon, Ayr KA7 3LW
  • Starting 19th August, Saturdays @ 11.30am – Mearns Castle Golf Academy, Waterfoot Rd, Newton Mearns, Glasgow G77 5RR

diddi dance Lancaster, Preston & Kendal, email Nicola for further information:

  • Starting 9th September, Saturdays @ 9am –  Penwortham Community Centre, Kingsfold Drive, Penwortham, PR1 9EQ
  • Starting 9th September, Saturdays @ 11am – Galloways Hall, Brackenbury Road, Fulwood PR2 3BS

diddi dance Wirral, email Suzie for further information:

  • Starting 7th September, Thursdays @ 11am – St.Chads Church Irby, Rosin Road, Irby, Wirral CH61 3UH. Class held in the annex Building
  • Starting 8th September, Fridays @ 11.15am – Wonderland Parties, 8 Seaview Road, Wallasey, Wirral, CH45 4LA. Parking pay and display round back!
  • From 9th September, Saturdays class changing to 9.30am – The Scout Hut Building, St.Barnabas Church, Village Centre, Bromborough, Wirral CH62 7AA

diddi dance North Shropshire, Wrexham & North West Stoke-on-Trent, email Emma for further information:

  • Starting 11th September, Mondays @ 11am – Farnon Community Club, Sibbersfield Lane, Farndon, Cheshire, CH3 6NX
  • Starting 11th September, Mondays @ 1pm – Epic Playbarn, EPIC 0-5 Play Cafe Telford, Unit 11, Bridges Business Park, Horsehay, Telford, Shropshire, TF4 3EE
  • Starting 12th September, Tuesdays @ 9.30am – Wrexham Blue Bears Runaround Playbarn, Unit 106, Coed Aben Road, Wrexham, LL13 9UH
  • Starting 12th September, Tuesdays @ 11am –  Rossett & Burton Village Hall, Station Road, Rossett, LL12 0HE
  • Starting 13th September, Wednesdays @ 11.15am – Tarporley Community Centre, 113A High Street, Tarporley, Cheshire, CW6 0AY
  • From 15th September, Fridays @ 9.30am – Wrexham Blue Bears Runaround Playbarn, Unit 106, Coed Aben Road, Wrexham, LL13 9UH

diddi dance North & Central Leeds, email Julia for further information:

  • Starting 11th September, Mondays @ 10am – Pool Village Hall, Arthington Lane, Pool in Wharfedale, Otley, LS21 1LG

diddi dance Loughborough, Hinckley, Oadby & Surrounding, email Nicola for further information:

  • Starting 8th September, Fridays @ 9.45am – St John’s Community Centre, Packhorse Drive, Enderby, LE19 2RP
  • Starting 12th September, Tuesday @ 9.45am – Civic Centre, King Street, Enderby, LE19 4NT.
  • Starting 28th September, Thursday @ 11am – The Freer Community Centre, Welford Road, Wigston, LE18 1PD

diddi dance Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket, Thetford, Ely & Surrounding, email Nicola for further information:

  • Starting 14th September, Thursdays @ 2pm – Stowmarket Community Centre, Hillside, Stowmarket, IP14 2BD
  • Starting 15th September, Fridays @ 10am – The Blackbourne, Blackbourne Road, Elmswell IP30 9UH

diddi dance North Essex & South Suffolk, email Charlotte for further information:

  • Starting 8th September, Fridays @ 9.45am – St. Mary’s Parish Office, Church Path, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB10 1JP

diddi dance Bristol, email Emily for further information:

  • Starting 5th September, Tuesdays @ 10am – Stoke Bishop Village Hall, 42 Stoke Hill, Bristol BS9 1EX
    Street parking available
  • Starting 6th September, Wednesdays @ 1:45pm – Emersons Green Village Hall, Emersons Way, Bristol, BS167AP
    Car Park available

diddi dance Reading & Wokingham, email Andrea for further information:

  • Starting 12th September, Tuesdays @ 1.45pm – Tilehurst Methodist Church, 26 School Road, Tilehurst, Reading, RG31 5AN
  • Starting 15th September, Fridays @ 10am – YMCA Reading (Sports Hall), 34 Parkside Road, Reading, RG30 2DD

diddi dance North London, email Anuschka for further information:

  • Starting 5th September, Tuesdays @ 11.15am, Hornsey Town Hall, The Broadway, N8 9JJ
    Held in the studios of Hornsey Dance
  • From 5th September, Tuesdays class will be held at 1pm – Jackson’s Lane Theatre, 269A Archway Road, N6 5AA
  • Starting 8th September, Fridays @ 1.45pm – Kidz Escape, 713 High Road, North Finchley, N12 0BP

diddi dance South East London, email Anne-Marie for further information:

  • Starting 9th September, Saturdays @ 10am – Under 1 Roof, Unit 9 io Centre, Skeffington Street, SE18 6SR

diddi dance Mid & East Surrey, email Nadine for further information:

  • Starting 7th September, Thursdays @ 10am – Thomas Wall Centre, 52 Benhill Avenue, Sutton, Surrey SM1 4DP

diddi dance Winchester, Alton, Cranleigh & Surrounding, email Emma for further information:

  • Starting 12th September, Tuesdays @ 9.45am – Wellesley Community Rooms, Maida Road, Wellesley, Aldershot GU11 2FA
    Car park available, venue is opposite the ‘Garrison Garage’

diddi dance South East Hampshire & Chichester, email Liz for further information:

  • Starting 5th September, Tuesdays @ 9.30am – Portchester Community Centre, Westlands Grove, Portchester, Fareham PO16 9AD
  • Starting 5th September, Tuesdays @ 10am – Meadowside Lesiure Centre, Whiteley Way, Fareham PO15 7LJ
  • Starting 6th September, Wednesdays @ 9.30am – Herne Farm Leisure Centre, Crundles, Herne Farm, Petersfield, Hampshire, GU31 4PJ
  • Starting 8th September, Fridays @ 9.30am – Napier Hall, Southleigh Road, Havant PO9 2RS
  • Starting 13th September, Wednesdays @ 10.45am – Waterloovile Community Centre, 10 Maurepas Way
, Waterlooville
, Hampshire
, PO7 7AY
  • Starting 14th September, Thursdays @ 9.30am – Rousillion Community Centre, Royal Sussex House, Donegall Avenue, Roussillon Park, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 6DF

diddi dance Brighton, Worthing & Horsham, email Laura for further information:

  • Starting 6th September, Wednesdays @ 1.45pm – Rustington Parish Church Hall, 77 The Street, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 3NL

diddi dance Plymouth & Surrounding, email Liz & Rachael for further information:

  • Starting 8th September, Fridays @ 10am – Tothill Community Centre, Knighton Road, Plymouth, PL4 9DA
Why not book your FREE trial for one of these new classes today! Visit our Contact Page to get in touch with your local diddi dance now.
We hope your toddler can join us for our next theme – BOLLYWOOD!!!

 

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diddi dance Eastbourne up for Industry Award!

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Joanna from diddi dance Eastbourne, Tunbridge Wells & Hastings has just been announced as a finalist in the 2017 East Sussex Women In Business Awards. These awards are dedicated to recognising, rewarding and celebrating local businesses and the women who run them.

Joanna has been nominated under the “Woman in Arts/Music/Dance Media” category alongside some wonderful other women she knows and has worked with. To see who she is up against and the other finalist click here.

We asked Joanna how she felt about being not only nominated but then recognised as a finalist for these awards and she said:

I am absolutely thrilled, and equally shocked, to have been shortlisted as a finalist in this years East Sussex Woman in Business Awards. The Art/Music/Dance Media category is so diverse and it’s an honour to be included representing preschool dance. I am truly passionate about what we do and getting little ones active from an early age in a fun and positive way. I get to share in the joy and happiness dance can bring to little ones (& their grown ups!) every day that I really can’t think of a better job – this sort of thing just makes it even better!”

We are thrilled for Joanna too at Head Office and can’t wait to see if she wins! The awards will be announced on 15th September, so watch this space to see what happens. Either way, we are very proud of Joanna and her nomination 🙂

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diddi dance Franchisees win at 2017 Conference

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Earlier this month, 8 & 9 July, diddi dance held its annual Conference where all franchisees come together to network, share best practice and take part in workshops & listen to presentations from industry experts to help them better their diddi dance business.

A highlight of the conference for founder Anne-Marie, and we think the rest of the diddi dance network, is the diddi dance Awards which recognise those franchisees that are excelling in certain aspects of the business. Both a winner and highly commended are given in each award and here they are:

Anne-Marie commented on the awards:

We love doing our annual awards recognising those franchisees in our network that go above and beyond with their diddi dance. We find the motivation and inspiration our fun awards invokes is of great benefit to the all the franchisees and really helps them drive their business over the next year. We can’t wait to see who wins next year!

Now we are pleased to announce the 2017 winners are…

diddi dancer for the most enthusiastic and “en pointe” teacher as nominated by their franchisee:

Higly Commended – Charlotte who teachers from Nadine from diddi dance Mid & East Surrey

Winner – Dedee who teaches for Charlotte from diddi dance North Essex & South Suffolk

diddi debutante for the fastest growing franchise from a franchisee who launched in 2016 (based upon overall business growth):

Highly Commended – Rebecca from diddi dance Wigan & Leigh

Winner – Liz & Rachael from diddi dance Plymouth & Surrounding

diddi developer for the franchisee who has taken over a territory (through resale or transfer) and developed the business in all aspects:

Highly Commended – Liz B from diddi dance Woking, Guildford & Farnborough

Winner – Anuschka from diddi dance North London

diddi diva for the biggest growth by a franchisee from June 2016 to May 2017. This year the race was so close for 2nd and 1st that we had to have two winners:

Winner – Natalie & Dawn from diddi dance Cannock Chase, Lichfield, Sutton Coldfield & North Walsall

Winner – Emily from diddi dance Bristol

diddi discusser for the franchisee fully utilising and actively using social media & online resources to their best ability:

Highly Commended – Rebecca from diddi dance Wigan & Leigh

Winner – Nicola R from diddi dance Loughborough, Hinckley, Oadby & Surrounding

diddi driver for the most motivated and driven franchisee doing their best to drive and progress their business:

Highly Commended – Julia from diddi dance North & Central Leeds

Winner – Charlotte from diddi dance North Essex & South Suffolk

diddi dude for the franchisee that is most supportive and active amongst the network – as voted for by the other franchisees:

Highly Commended – Emma from diddi dance Central Warrington & Central Cheshire and North Shropshire, Wrexham & North West Stoke-on-Trent

Winner – Mona from diddi dance London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

diddi doer for the franchisee with most innovative marketing & promotions:

Highly Commended – Caroline from diddi dance Swindon, Cirencester, Chippenham, Tetbury & Surrounding

Winner – Suzie from diddi dance Wirral

diddi deliverer, a new award this year, for the franchisee who is running the best business overall:

Highly Commended – Andrea from diddi dance Reading & Wokingham

Winner – Nicola B from diddi dance Lancaster, Preston & Kendal

And lastly our biggest award each year is diddi dame which goes to a franchisee who has made an outstanding contribution to diddi dance in the last year:

Winner – Caroline & Jennifer from diddi dance Essex

Caroline & Jennifer our one of our longest running franchisees with diddi dance Essex now having be open for over 6 years. Just this month they to receive their Gold Accreditation through us and the Children’s Activity Association, has been working very hard to make their diddi dance business continue to thrive as they have every year. You can read more about them by clicking here and read about their recent accreditation by clicking here.

We couldn’t be more proud of our award winning franchisees. To book a place in one of their classes visit our FREE trial page today

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All about diddi dance Essex

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diddi dance Franchisees Caroline & Jennifer who runs diddi dance Essex recently became the 2nd diddi dance franchise to be fully accredited by the Children’s Activity Association. To read all about their recent achievement just click here.

Because of this success, we at diddi dance wanted to take the time to tell you all about Caroline & Jennifer and diddi dance Essex here!

How long have you been with diddi dance?

We have been with diddi dance for 6 and a half years now, launching our first class in January 2011. It has gone so fast!

What did you do before joining diddi dance?

We both followed the conventional paths of school, university, jobs in the City and then marriage and children. diddi dance has been quite a change of direction for both of us, but a fabulous one!

Our sons had become best friends at school and we had too. We spent many hours discussing how we could regain our old working lives but still be there for our children. There didn’t seem to be an answer.

Suddenly, diddi dance came out of the blue to us and seemed quite a crazy idea, way out of our comfort zones at the time but the more we thought about it the more intriguing and appealing it seemed. We are both so glad we took the opportunity.

What do you love most about diddi dance and running your own business?

diddi dance has provided us with something that we probably did not feel was achievable when we first became stay-at-home mums. The concept of running our own business with control of our own hours, workload, etc seemed an impossibility. However, diddi dance ticked many of the boxes we had been struggling to tick after having children.

Every day is different, we are in control of everything we do, the hours we work – even if that means we are still emailing each other at midnight! Every day brings something new yet we are still able to attend every Nativity, School Trip, Sport’s Day and there’s no guilt. There’s a balance to our lives which six years ago felt like an impossibility.

We love running diddi dance and the opportunity to work together on something we both care for equally. We have been through so much together, discussing, supporting and laughing together every step of the way! As well as the flexibility, it’s a truly rewarding job. We had no idea how amazing and fulfilling dancing and working with children could be.

What has been the best thing that has happened to you because of diddi dance?

We get to meet all sorts of new and interesting people and some amazing children who really hold a place dear in their hearts for us and will hopefully continue into their adult years with a love of dance which we have helped to instil in them! How many people really get to make a difference to so many little people’s lives? That is the kind of job satisfaction that we never could have pre-empted when we said yes to this crazy idea six years ago. We are very, very proud of the little company we are creating and the reputation and relationships we have built with parents and their diddi one’s across Essex.

What has been a highlight for you since taking on your diddi dance?

Gosh there have been so many!

Holding sessions at the largest pre-school festival in the country – the 3ft People Festival in Chelmsford, for the last 5 years has involved some amazing and very memorable moments. We get to dance with literally hundreds of toddlers when we are there!

We have worked a lot with little one’s with cancer and many children with Cystic Fibrosis, supporting them in our dance sessions, as consistent movement is so important in keeping them well. We have also entertained at lots of fund raising events for CF. Making a difference in these little one’s lives is so poignant and rewarding.

To be honest though, every day at diddi dance has a highlight that we can’t wait to share with each other after class:

  • Some of the fancy dress outfits at our Christmas and Easter themed sessions are so gorgeous!
  • Tales from parents regarding how their little one’s have been pretending to be us and have been holding their own diddi dance classes at home.
  • When the little one who has been hiding behind their grown up for weeks, painfully shy, suddenly appears with their ribbon and blossoms in their own little world of creativity – there is really nothing like it and we get to witness these moments nearly every day!

What is something you are looking forward to as you continue with your diddi dance franchise?

We are really looking forward to expanding further across Essex. We would love to be able to provide more Saturday sessions over the course of the next year for families with working parents.

What does the CAA accreditation mean to you?

We have worked very hard and are so delighted to have achieved our Gold Children’s Activities Association (CAA) Accreditation. There are literally hundreds of children’s activity groups out there and it’s really important for us to be able to say to parents, that with our Gold Accreditation, they can be assured that by choosing our classes we have all the relevant insurance, DBS, Health & Safety policies and equipment checks in place as well as having undergone rigorous assessment of our teaching methods and techniques. Being able to offer parents that peace of mind regarding our activity provision puts us above the rest!

And finally, what is your favourite diddi dance theme and why?

Ooh that’s a really tough one as we have 16 fantastic different dance themes to choose from and they all have something special about them that we love but Jennifer has a particular soft spot for our Country theme. It really gets everybody up and moving; children, parents and grandparents too. They all love to gallop on their horses and shout ‘Yee-haa’. We have so much fun together with this theme and it’s especially bonding for the grown-ups and their little ones, which is the loveliest thing to see.

 

diddi dance Essex currently has multiple classes running across their exclusive area. They are as follows:

Mondays

  • 9.45am St Laurence & All Saints Church Hall, Eastwoodbury Lane, EASTWOOD SS2 6RH
  • 10.00am Danbury United Reformed Church, Little Baddow Road, DANBURY CM3 4NS
  • 10.00am The Cathedral of St Mary & St Helen, Small Hall, Ingrave Road, BRENTWOOD CM15 8AT
  • 11.00am The Cathedral of St Mary & St Helen, Small Hall, Ingrave Road, BRENTWOOD CM15 8AT
  • 1.00pm The King Edward Community Centre, King Edwards Way, LAINDON, Basildon SS15 6JF
  • 1.30pm Runnymede Small Hall, Rear of the Council Office, Kiln Road, BENFLEET SS7 1TF

Tuesdays

  • 9.45am St Luke’s Church Hall, St Luke’s Road, SOUTHEND SS2 4AB
  • 10.45am St Luke’s Church Hall, St Luke’s Road, SOUTHEND SS2 4AB
  • 9.45am The Rayleigh Grange Community Centre, Little Wheatley Chase, RAYLEIGH SS6 9EH
  • 10.45am Writtle Sports and Social Club, Paradise Road, WRITTLE CM1 3HW
  • 9.45 am Champions Manor Hall, Hullbridge Road, SOUTH WOODHAM FERRERS CM3 5LJ
  • 1.30pm St Nicholas Centre, 208 Long Road, CANVEY SS8 0JR

Wednesday

  • 10.00am The Springfield WI Hall, 12 Springfield Green, SPRINGFIELD, Chelmsford CM1 7HR
  • 11.00am The Springfield WI Hall, 12 Springfield Green, SPRINGFIELD, Chelmsford CM1 7HR
  • 10.00am Clements Hall Leisure Centre, Clements Hall Way, HAWKWELL, Essex SS5 4LN

Thursday

  • 10.00am Langham Hall, Langham Crescent, South Green, BILLERICAY CM12 9RD
  • 10.00am Wesley Methodist Church Hall, Room 3, Elm Road, LEIGH-ON-SEA, SS9 1SJ

Friday

  • 9.30am St Mary’s Church Hall, North Shoebury Road, SHOEBURYNESS SS3 8UL
  • 9.45am Rochford Methodist Church, 77 North Street, ROCHFORD SS4 1AD
  • 10.00am Hutton Community Centre, Harrison Close, Hutton, BRENTWOOD CM13 1LP

Saturday

  • 9.45am Grove Wood Primary School, Grove Road, RAYLEIGH SS6 8UA

To attend any of the above classes or to express interest in having a FREE trial get in touch with diddi dance Essex today! You can email them on caroline.jennifer@diddidance.com, call 07756 407162, message us at www.Facebook.com/diddidanceEssex or fill in our free enquiry form by clicking here

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diddi dance Essex receives CAA Gold Accreditation

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The team at diddi dance, the brand behind the much-loved preschool dance classes, are extremely proud to announce their franchise diddi dance Essex has achieved Gold accreditation from the Children’s Activities Association (CAA). The CAA is the only not-for-profit, industry-led association to set and raise standards in all organised children’s activities across the UK and this achievement clearly showcases the team at diddi dance Essex’s passion for excellence.

Set-up by leading industry experts in 2015, including diddi dance Founder Anne-Marie Martin, the establishment of the CAA (a Community Interest Company) has revolutionised the children’s activities sector. After Anne-Marie completed the accreditation process for diddi dance in 2016, she decided to offer the same accreditation to each diddi dance Franchise. This past month Anne-Marie & diddi dance were thrilled to personally accredit diddi dance Essex.

Over 200,000 children a week now attend a CAA member activity and it is a truly fantastic endorsement for diddi dance Essex to be part of this ground-breaking national initiative. Their commitment to achieving Gold shows their dedication to demonstrate to their industry peers and their fellow diddi dance franchisees that they excel at what they do as well as giving parents the reassurance they deserve when selecting the best classes for their little ones.

Caroline Gunn and Jennifer Storey opened diddi dance Essex in January 2011 and have gone on to grow it into one of the most recognisable diddi dance brands in the nation. Becoming a Gold accredited member of the CAA is the latest achievement in the brand’s 6-year success story supporting dancing toddlers weekly.

It is staggering to learn that before the CAA, there was no national, independent association in the UK for the children’s activity sector as a whole. Through the development of the CAA Code of Practice and via their thorough accreditation, for the first time, parents can now easily make simple, informed decisions when choosing from the wealth of children’s activities out there. Just by asking whether the provider is a CAA member, a parent or carer can get reassurance on important issues such as insurance, health and safety, criminal record checks, training, qualifications, class content and much more.

As one parent said regarding the CAA –

With so many clubs and classes to choose from it’s so hard to know which are the best and what I should be asking when I leave my children in the care of a class leader. In the past I just wrongly assumed kids’ activities must have to be regulated. Knowing that the CAA has asked those important questions to help keep my child safe is fantastic – so now I just look for their logo!”

Having achieved Gold CAA accreditation means that diddi dance Essex has been independently verified as having met or exceeded all the necessary elements of the CAA Code of Practice. Assessed by Dr Amanda Gummer PhD, one of the UK’s leading experts in child development and Founder of Fundamentally Children, the CAA’s official independent accrediting organisation, this accomplishment offers parents peace of mind when selecting an activity from the myriad of providers out there.

Anne-Marie commented on the accreditation process and Caroline & Jennifer’s success:

Using the CAA accreditation system to ensure all our franchisees are performing to not only our high standards but also a nationally recognised association too is so important to us. It’s fantastic seeing our second franchise gain gold accreditation. Caroline and Jennifer have always run a fantastic franchise and this just validates it to their customers, giving them peace of mind.”

Adding to this Caroline & Jennifer of diddi dance Essex said:

We have worked very hard and are so delighted to have achieved our Gold Children’s Activities Association (CAA) Accreditation. There are literally hundreds of children’s activity groups out there and it’s really important for us to be able to say to parents, that with our Gold Accreditation, they can be assured that by choosing our classes we have all the relevant insurance, DBS, Health & Safety policies and equipment checks in place as well as having undergone rigorous assessment of our teaching methods and techniques. Being able to offer parents that peace of mind regarding our activity provision puts us above the rest!“

Congratulations again to Caroline & Jennifer and their franchise. If you would like more information about diddi dance Essex visit the Facebook page here or read all about them by clicking here.

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New diddi dance Franchise – South Glasgow, Kilmarnock, Ayr & Surrounding

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We here at diddi dance HO would like to take this opportunity to welcome our newest franchisee, Wendy, who will be running the new franchise – diddi dance South Glasgow, Kilmarnock, Ayr & Surrounding.

Wendy’s first classes are starting in August 2017 and will be:

  • Mon 14th @ 9.45am – Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Ayr
  • Tues 15th @ 9.45am – Prestwick South Parish Church Hall, Prestwick
  • Wed 16th @ 9.45am- The Howard Centre, Kilmarnock
  • Fri 18th @ 9.45am – Loans Village Hall, Ayr
  • Fri 18th @ 1.45pm- Castlehill Parish Church Hall, Troon
  • Sat 19th @ 11.30am – Mearns Castle Golf Academy, Newton Mearns

To book your toddler onto any of the above classes fill in our Book a Free Trial form and address it to Wendy, or you can email her directly by clicking here 🙂

A little bit more about Wendy:

Tell us a bit about yourself:

Hi. I’m Wendy and have recently moved to Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. I have the pleasure of sharing my life with my partner Stephen and my little dog Pepe. Family is the most important thing in my life and I love spending time with my nephew’s, Ruan and Finn, and my little niece, Ruby. I have always loved sport and come from a very sporting family, and my interests continue with taking part in sports activities and watching them live and on the TV. I love my holidays and have recently come back from my first ever ski trip.

What did you do before diddi dance?

For 13 years I have worked in my father’s financial services business at St. James’s Place Wealth Management. It’s been an interesting time and I have gained lots of valuable experiences from it, but I have always wanted to work with children, so now is the perfect chance to move into my chosen field with his retirement on the horizon. Most recently, I have also attained my Certificate in Montessori Pedagogy, where I studied as a distance learner through the London College of Montessori.

Why did you choose a diddi dance franchise?

I have wanted to work with children for a long time, but have never found the right avenue to go down with it. I also want to be self-employed and run my own business, so when I was told about diddi dance, it really did tick all the boxes. The ethos of diddi dance is exactly why I wanted to go into the teaching profession, and now I have an unbelievable opportunity with diddi dance. Exciting times ahead!

What are you most excited about for your new business?

Giving children the chance to explore with their own bodies, feel the freedom we should all feel with dance and music, and for them to have as much fun as possible to the funky styles of dance. I am looking forward to meeting new people and getting the grown-ups having as much fun as the children do!

And finally, which diddi dance theme are you looking forward to the most and why?

Irish, as people always think I’m Irish as I have red hair! Need to work on the accent though 🙂

Wendy’s classes will be starting with our Bollywood theme so don’t forget to book your FREE trial today!

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