ABOUT
About Flamingo Chicks
Breaking down barriers to inclusion through dance!
#BalletNotBarriers
We are an inclusive community giving all children, including disabled children and those with illnesses such as cancer, the opportunity to enjoy dance and explore movement alongside friends. We also provide a vital peer support network for parents and carers, intergenerational volunteering, global outreach and advocacy!
72% of parents and carers say they are now better able to cope with the demands of caring for a disabled child.
94% told us Flamingo Chicks has made them re-evaluate what their child is capable of.
Julie Smee, Mum to Issy, age 13.
“So much more than a dance class, Flamingo Chicks is a lifeline for families. It’s a welcoming, safe space for children with additional needs to have fun, make new friends and explore what their bodies can do – whilst enabling parents to come together, swap tips and share ways to cope helping us though the journey of parenting a child with disabilities. It’s the most incredible place – full of love and warmth, it has literally changed our lives for the better.”
Flamingo Chicks was founded by Katie Sparkes, frustrated at the lack of inclusive opportunities for her daughter Poppy, who has cerebral palsy. Flamingo Chicks exists to create a world where every disabled child enjoys their right to access services and opportunities to realise their full potential. We do so by championing inclusive opportunities; disabled children’s rights to participate in dance alongside their peers, showcasing what disabled children can do and the value of disabled and non-disabled children working together. Keeping the voices of disabled children at the heart of our work, we are a growing movement who want to see change in society for disabled people and how they are treated. Flamingo Chicks has performed and made speeches at high profile events such as at Downing Street and the United Nations in New York.
Download our latest Impact Report to find out more!
