Chris Wales
Barbara's 90th Birthday Blitz
Fundraising for Great North Air Ambulance Service
Story
Remembering the Blitz in the 2nd World war as a child and then 75 years later being inspired by Captain Tom, fellow Yorkshire woman Barbara Benson Smith ( ex Whitby town Mayoress and local dancing school teacher) is coming out of self isolation to street dance ( well actually around the grounds of her apartment) to raise money for the Great North Air Ambulance.
Having had to put her 90th birthday celebration's on hold due to Covid 19 thought that dancing 90,000 steps would be an excellent alternative to commemorate her milestone birthday and raise much needed funds for a worthy cause.
No stranger to charity work Barbara was awarded an MBE in the Queens jubilee year for her lifelong dedication to the theatre and charity work for the NSPCC, raising thousands of pounds from the annual dancing school shows with the tremendous support of both parents and pupils.
Some famous pupils included Christopher Bruce (who went on to become Director of Ballet Rambert), Joanne Froggatt before going to stage school and local children may years ago as Diddymen appearing with Ken Dodd at the Futurist Theatre Scarborough.
Barbara is a well known face in Whitby and the surrounding areas having taught generations of children at the Benson Stage Academy alongside appearing in many productions with both Whitby Area Musical Theatre Company and Whitby Amateur Dramatic Society (of which she is also President). She also finds time to be a voluntary worker at St Catherines Hospice shop on a regular basis.
Barbara would like to dedicate her fundraising efforts to the memory of her late husband who was indebted to the Great North Air Ambulance during an incident in the Lake District.
The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) rescues hundreds of severely injured or ill patients every year throughout the North East, North Yorkshire and Cumbria. Their doctor-led critical care teams deliver life-saving treatments at the scene of the incident whether that is on a fell top, a roadside or in a city centre. The charity responded to 1,640 call outs last year* alone, via their helicopter and emergency response vehicles, where they performed treatments and procedures which can mean the difference between life or death.
