diddi dance

diddi dance Franchisor and Franchise Director are award winners!

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Anne-Marie Martin and Rebecca Duschl were thrilled to have won two national awards in this year’s prestigious NatWest EWIF Awards.

The Encouraging Women into Franchising Awards aim to recognise and celebrate the work of women in the UK franchising industry and the awards ceremony, held in London on Tuesday 12th May, saw Anne-Marie, Founder & Franchisor of diddi dance, win the coveted Woman Franchisor of the Year sponsored by FranchiseFinance.

diddi dance AM award

Scooping two awards, we also saw Franchise Director, Rebecca, win the competitive Woman Franchise Employee of the Year sponsored by busibricks Franchise Manager.

diddi dance Rebecca award

Anne-Marie commented about the wins:

I am overwhelmed with our success at the EWIF Awards. There were so many nominations for these awards and for both Rebecca & I to have won an award is just fantastic. diddi dance has come a long way since its beginning 12 years ago and with our amazing team & new developments such as holiday themes & CDs, I can’t wait to see it where it leads us next.

To read more about all the winners from the day just click here.

EWIF Logo colour

For more information about EWIF and to become a member of this ever growing company/community just click here. Meetings held in all areas of the UK throughout the year.

 

To be a franchisee with this award winning company find out now Is It For You?

diddi dance Franchisor and Franchise Director nominated for EWIF awards!

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Founder & Franchisor Anne-Marie Martin and Franchise Director Rebecca Duschl have been announced as finalists in the 2015 NatWest EWIF Awards.

AM and Rebecca - 1

Anne-Marie is a finalist for –
EWIF finalist logos-Woman Franchisor-1 copyand when asked about her nomination she said:

To be a finalist in this category is really thrilling. I appreciate and value the work EWIF do for encouraging, supporting & motivating women in business.

 

Rebecca is a finalist for –
EWIF finalist logos-Woman Franchise Employee-1 copyand she couldn’t be more excited to be nominated again this year in this category.

 

The winners will be announced on 12th May, 2015 so we will be keeping our fingers crossed for you two!

 

For more information about the EWIF Awards or to attend and see what it is all about for yourself go to http://www.ewif.org/the-natwest-ewif-awards-2015.html

diddi dance franchisees are Mum in the Know Winners!!!

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Amazing News! Two diddi dance franchisees and their diddi dance classes are award winners!mitk_winner-300x300The Mum in the Know award are voted for by their network of readers who have told them exactly what they love. After receiving over 3,000 nominations and 15,000 votes the winners were announced yesterday and we couldn’t be more pleased that two diddi dances won in their areas 🙂

diddi dance South Manchester & North East Cheshire, run by Lisa Lawson, won the best class for 2-4 year olds as voted for by Mums in the Know Heald Green, Wythenshawe & Gatley readers!

When asked about winning the award Lisa said:

A big huge THANK YOU to everyone who voted for us. WE WON! Woo hoo! AND the biggest thank you to Nadine Lear who’s classes were nominated in the first place. So proud of you and thank you for leading such fabulous, fun, high energy diddi dance classes for our little ones xxx

diddi dance North Shropshire, Central Cheshire & North West Staffordshire, run by Emma Hayward, also won the best class for 2-4 year olds as voted for by Mum in the Know Crewe & Nantwich readers!

Emma was also very excited about her diddi dance winning the award:

Yippeee!!! We have won the Mums in the Know best class for 2-4 year olds Crewe and Nantwich! Huge thank you to all of our lovely customers who voted for us and to my two fab teachers over in Cheshire – Sue and Carolyn who really do make their diddi dance classes completely and totally fantastic every day! Big thank you to Mums In The Know too and a well done to the runners up.

Once again congrats ladies! Well deserved.

 

diddi dance nominated for What’s On 4 Awards!

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We couldn’t be happier at diddi dance that our customers enjoy our classes so much that they have once again nominated us for the What’s On 4 Junior Awards!

JuniorAwards_VoteForUsThe 2015 What’s On 4 Junior Awards celebrate the very best kid’s activity providers in the UK, Ireland and Australia. These major awards have been rewarding the very best activity providers, classes, places to go and people for 9 years now in the UK but they couldn’t do it without the votes and nominations from YOU – the experts!

diddi dance is once again nominated this year for:
Best National Pre-schooler Development Activity (2 to 5 years)

On top of that some of our franchisees and teachers have also been acknowledged for their hard-work and dedication to their classes and have been nominated as well.

Most Outstanding Activity Leader for the Under 5s – SOUTH 

  • Caroline Steele –Wiltshire
  • Joanna Oastler – East Sussex
  • Lousie Martin – SE Hampshire
  • Rebecca Duschl – London

Most Outstanding Activity Leader for the Under 5s – EAST

  • Hannah Speery – Leicestershire
  • Nicola Rogers – Leicestershire

We asked some of the nominees who are also franchisees how they felt about being recognised:

“Wow it feels fantastic to have received enough nominations to be through to the voting stages. The What’s On 4 Awards are very highly regarded with parents, so we’re really pleased.” – diddi dance Founder, Anne-Marie

“I was over the moon to hear I had made it through to the next stage of the What’s On 4 Awards. To feel valued by our lovely diddi dance parents makes it totally worthwhile.
I’m also very proud of my teacher Hannah making it through, as well, and thank her for her commitment and hard work.
To make the finals would be a fantastic achievement. ” – Nicola

“I am absolutely thrilled to be nominated for the ‘most outstanding activity award leader-South’. I have only been running since September and absolutely LOVE teaching diddi dance and seeing my children have fun and grow in confidence. I have met some great families and feel honoured to have received so much positive feedback and support so early on in my diddi dance career.” – Caroline

“I love being part of the diddi dance team. Knowing that the parents and grandparents who bring their children to class believe we deserve the recognition by nominating diddi dance as best national preschool class is the icing on the cake – being nominated myself as best preschool leader in the south is the cherry on the top! Thank you, thank you!” – Louise

“I am thrilled to have been nominated again this year as it’s a true validation of what we do at diddi dance. The fact that others enjoy our classes enough that they have taken the time to nominate us let’s me know it’s not just me having all the fun in class! These awards are voted for by parents and parents only want the best for their little one, so a nomination like this is such a privilege and an honour.” – Joanna

As you can read we all could not be happier to have such satisfied and supportive customers who reward us in such a fashion. For more information about the awards or if you would like to vote for diddi dance or any one of our activity leaders please go to: http://www.whatson4littleones.co.uk/award-voting.asp. Voting will close on Friday 1st May and the 2015 Awards Ceremony will take place on Friday 19th June. So stay tuned to see if we become a finalist!

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We would also like to take this moment to congratulate Lisa Lawson of diddi dance South Manchester & North East Cheshire & Emma Hayward of diddi dance North Shropshire, Central Cheshire & North West Staffordshire who have both been shortlisted for their Mums In the Know Awards 2015, as voted for by the readers of Mums in the Know Heald Green, Wythenshawe & Gatley and Crewe & Nantwich respectively. 2-4yr classThe winners will be announced on 11th April, 2015 so we will be keeping our fingers crossed for you two!

For more information about the award or to vote for Lisa’s diddi dance please visit: http://www.mumsintheknow.co.uk/healdgreen/2015/03/19/mitk-awards-2015-finalists/

To vote for Emma’s diddi dance please visit: www.mumsintheknow.co.uk/crewe/2015/03/21/mitk-crewe-nantwich-awards-nominations/

diddi dance Recommended: The Snowman!

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A favourite of diddi dance Founder Anne-Marie Martin, we want to recommend anyone in or around London over the holiday season to go and see The Snowman.

Amazon imageThe Snowman
Peacock Theatre
26 Nov – 4 Jan

When a young boy’s snowman magically comes to life, the two set off on a starry-skied adventure to the North Pole, where they meet dancing penguins, reindeer and naturally, Father Christmas. Watch spellbound as the Snowman flies through the night sky above you, before escaping the clutches of Jack Frost to return home for Christmas morning.

Now in its 17th hit year, this heart-warming stage show based on Raymond Briggs’ much-loved book, is brought to life in a magical mix of music, dance, enchanting design and spectacular sets. Featuring Howard Blake’s beautiful ‘Walking In The Air’, performed by a live orchestra, The Snowman is an “essential part of London’s Christmas calendar” (Time Out).
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Suitable for all children aged two and upwards, The Snowman is a captivating show full of dance, stagecraft, live music, storytelling, spectacle and magic.
“Sheer theatrical magic. Go see The Snowman and melt” – The Times

For more information or to get your tickets today just click here!

diddi dance Founder Anne-Marie up for Mumpreneur Award!

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We at diddi dance want to congratulate mum and entrepreneur, Anne-Marie Martin, who has earned herself a place in Mumpreneur Finalist_badgethe final line-up of The Mumpreneur Awards, an annual ceremony aimed at celebrating parents throughout the UK who manage the difficult task of juggling business with family life. The mother of 2 from South East London runs diddi dance, a franchised company that offers 45 minute dance classes to children ages 18 months to 4 years old, originally started as one class back in 2006.

Anne-Marie and her company, diddi dance, have been shortlisted for the Boost category, which is open to any businesses that can demonstrate high growth. Since having launched diddi dance as a franchise in 2010 it now has 34 franchisees with 36 locations offering pre-school dance classes to toddlers across the UK. With such a loved company by both customers and franchisees, alike, Anne-Marie hopes diddi dance has what it takes to walk away with the prize.

diddi dance Anne MarieAs well as being shortlisted for this category, Anne-Marie is also in with a chance of winning the title of The Inspirational Business Mum 2014, which will be awarded to the mum who is an inspiration to all women in business, and could walk away with a fantastic prize.

Having reached the finals of The Mumpreneur Awards, Anne-Marie said, “To be a finalist for such a highly regarded award is so exciting. We at diddi dance have had such a great year, growing our network of franchisees and creating even more dance themes & music. It’s great to receive this sort of acknowledgement for all the hard work we do.”

Judging Anne-Marie’s entry will be a panel of top entrepreneurs but she’ll have to wait until 8th November, when the winners will be announced at The Mumpreneur Conference and Awards, being held at the Heart of England Centre in Warwickshire. This event is open to all parents who juggle family and business, and also for those interested in taking the plunge and starting up. Tickets prices start at just £49, and can be purchased through the Mumpreneur UK website, where you’ll find a whole range of resources and information for business mums www.mumpreneuruk.com.

 

For more information on being a diddi dance franchisee visit our Franchise page.

diddi dance Founder Anne-Marie is up for Business Parent of the Year!

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It was announced yesterday that diddi dance Founder & Managing Director Anne-Marie Martin is a finalist for the mumandworking Business Parent of the Year award.

mw-2014-award-web

mumandworking has described this category as:

Open to any parent who has founded their own business and is a shining example of how running a business alongside a family works! Judges will be looking for examples of successful, parent-run businesses going places!

That means mumandworking think diddi dance is going places! To be part of that find out more about our franchise opportunities here.

The National mumandworking Awards will take place at Campus London, October 16 2014. Winners and runners-up will be revealed on that day live at the awards as well as online throughout the day.  diddi dance Anne Marie and Lily with logo

When we asked Anne-Marie what she thought of this recognition she said:

It’s so fantastic to be nominated for such an award. As a working parent juggling running a successful franchise network, 2 children, school runs, potty training, etc. as well as still teaching on top of it, it is hard work but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

We could not be more happy for Anne-Marie and we will be keeping our fingers crossed in the hopes that she wins!

 

To see all the other finalist just click here!

diddi dance South Manchester raises £252.91 for Macmillan!

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diddi dance South Manchester are thrilled to announce that they raised a fantastic £252.91 for Macmillan Cancer Support by taking part in their Dress Up and Dance event. Dress Up and Dance was a one day event Macmillian held last Friday, 20 June but diddi dance South Manchester decided to make a whole week of it and get everyone dancing around for charity!

diddi dance South Manchester invited all their diddi dancers to get dressed up in their favourite dance themed outfits during their classes running from the 16th to the 21st June. They asked all who came to make a donation to the charity and come & enjoy some dancing fun – whether new or not to diddi dance.

photoIMG_0400Rock star boy

There was a fantastic buzz and energy in the classes and they had a great selection of costumes from flamenco dancers to cowboys & girls, rock stars to ravers and Bollywood dancers to ballerinas, as well as a fair number of princesses too!

The money raised really will make a difference to the 1,500 children diagnosed with cancer every year in the UK – and their families. The donations will help Macmillan provide practical, medical and financial support for people with cancer, so no one has to face cancer alone.

Lisa Lawson, owner of diddi dance South Manchester said, “Macmillan is an excellent charity, and we were so pleased we could raise so much money for them”. A Rep from the Macmillian School and Youth Facebook Fan Page had the following to say about the week, “What a great idea to have a whole week of Dress Up. All your kids look very cute in the photos – we love their whistles, guitars, hula hoops and other props! Thank you for raising such an incredible amount.”

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Thank to all the diddi dancers who took part and helped in raising the money! Thank you, as well, to Kelliejo Photography for taking the above photos of the diddi dancers in action.

 

If you would still like to donate money to Macmillan Cancer Support visit their website by clicking here for more information on how to do so.

 

Don’t forget! Even though Dress Up and Dance is over you can still come along to any diddi dance class in your favourite dance outfit. To see where your closest diddi dance is check our Locations page and book your FREE trail today!

 

diddi dance South Manchester does Dress Up & Dance!

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Manchester diddi dancers get moving and grooving to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

In June dance fever will hit as children and adults across the country put on their dancing shoes to raise money for Macmillan.

This special event is called Dress Up and Dance, and it involves local children moving and grooving for charity in their favourite dance outfits. They can twirl in a tutu, hip-hop in a hoodie or jazz it up in jeans. This toe-tapping, costume-wearing celebration is being organised as part of Macmillan Cancer Support’s new Dress up and Dance fundraising campaign, which asks pupils to come into school wearing their favourite dance outfits in return for a donation to the charity.

Lisa Lawson, owner of diddi dance South Manchester, has said about the campaign:

I absolutely love the idea and although the day is targeted at primary and secondary school pupils, it’s a perfect fit for our diddi dancers and their parents who attend our classes too. Our funky pre-school dance classes are for 2-4 year old boys and girls and cover 14 different dance styles from hip hop to Bollywood, country to flamenco and many more in between, all set to pop songs written just for us. Our little ones love to get dressed up, so it will give them a chance to show off their dance moves while choosing a costume that reflects their favourite dance style and all for a great cause.”

diddi dance South Manchester are running a Dress Up and Dance week from Monday the 16th of June to Saturday the 21st June 2014 in their Gatley, Heaton Moor, Cheadle, Poynton, Bramhall, Burnage and East Didsbury classes that operate from Monday to Saturday mornings.

Come and join us! We are opening up the classes that week to anyone who would like to have a boogie and help us raise funds for Macmillan, for a minimum £2 donation. So whether you are a former diddi dancer or if you have never been and you &  your toddler would like to come and join in the Dress Up and Dance fun and help us raise funds for Macmillan, we would love to have a dance with you.”

All the money raised goes towards Macmillan’s vital work, providing medical, financial, practical and emotional support to the two million people currently living with cancer in the UK, and their families.

 

For more information on Dress up and Dance click here.

 

To book to attend one of diddi dance South Manchester’s classes during Dress Up and Dance week or any other time of the year contact Lisa via our Contact page.

diddi dance Eastbourne, Uckfield & Hastings have an MP visit & more!

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Recently, Stephen Lloyd MP visited a Saturday morning diddi dance class run by Joanna Oastler of diddi dance Eastbourne, Uckfield & Hastings. Joanna was thrilled to have him along and excited for her diddi ones to help him out in the class. Stephen Lloyd MP had the following to say about the class: “It was absolutely exhausting just watching Joanna run the diddi dance class! The very young children, though, just loved it.  It’s very clear the sessions are not only great fun but help the kids’ confidence and movement skills enormously.  Well done Jo but phew, hard work!”

To read all about the visit see the article below:
diddi dance Eastbourne article

In other news, Joanna and a team of diddi mums completed their 10 mile Midnight Walk in aid of the local children’s hospice (Chestnut Tree House).  They were amongst over 800 walkers on the night and as a team they raised a whooping £877! Amazing! Their team target was originally £500 and in the end they were 2 people down, so they are absolutely thrilled with the amount donated to them. Congrats ladies!

Their team photo also features on Chestnut Tree House’s webpage telling the story of the night, so they’re famous now too! Click here to see it and read all about the event. Joanna has already registered to take part again next year, with a new diddi dance team along with a couple of this year’s team too, so if you want to get involved contact her today!

 

To get in touch with Joanna from diddi dance Eastbourne, Uckfield & Hastings visit our Contact page now.

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