Airbus employee set to glide across the dancefloor for charity

Airbus employee, Matthew Roles, will be gliding across the dancefloor this week as he hopes to cha cha cha his way to victory in a charity ballroom dancing competition.

After months of training, aircraft fitter Matthew, who works in the A380 factory at the Airbus plant in Broughton, is ready to put on his dancing shoes for an ‘Evening of Strictly Goes to the Movies’.

The event, hosted by the Bedazzled Dance Centre, will be held at Brymbo Sports and Social Club, Wrexham on Saturday 1st April.

Matthew was one of 13 volunteers paired with Bedazzled dancers back in October last year. He has spent the last six months learning the basics of dancing and perfecting his chosen routine with dance partner, Joanne Mason.

Thanks to a resurgence in the popularity of ballroom over the past few years, the event is expected to attract around 400 people.

As the theme for the evening is ‘movie night’, Matthew will be donning an oversized collar and flared trousers for the event, channelling his inner John Travolta as he struts his stuff to the disco classic ‘You Should Be Dancing’. Behind the sequins and the spray tan, however, there is an important story behind Matthew’s journey to the ballroom.

The evening is in aid of a number of charities supported by those taking part in the contest. Matthew will be raising money for the Stroke Association, a charity close to his heart after his grandmother suffered a stroke just two days after being offered the opportunity to take part in the event.

Matthew’s grandmother has been able to make a speedy recovery but stroke remains the fourth single leading cause of death in the UK with more than 100,000 recorded each year – that’s one every five minutes.

Speaking ahead of the evening, Matthew said,

As nervous as I am now, with the event approaching, I’m really grateful to have been given the opportunity to raise money for such a worthy charity. I just hope I don’t let nerves get the better of me on the night.

I am so grateful to everyone who has generously sponsored me and helped to far exceed my original fundraising target.

The Stroke Association champions stroke awareness in the UK through a number of campaigns, such as the FAST (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) initiative, which was endorsed by the Department of Health in 2009.

The Stroke Association is also at the forefront of pioneering research into stroke care and treatment, helping improve quality of life for stroke survivors.

Matthew’s participation in the event was also inspired by his two children, Jamie and Rebecca, who have been ballroom dancing at Bedazzled for a number of years.

The centre, based at The Academy in Buckley, offers a range of ballroom and Latin American classes to all ages, giving students the opportunity to compete at national level.