A dance school which has been running for the past 42 years has been presented with a prestigious community award.
The Susan Jane School of Dancing was formally presented with the Marjorie Lynden Award at Plympton St Maurice Church Hall during their last meeting before the school summer holidays. The award was established by Marjorie Lynden who was Stannator of Plympton in 1985/6. She awarded it that year collectively to the young people of Plympton.
In the years since successive Stannators have been able to award the trophy to an individual young person or group of young people who have done worthwhile things for others in the Plympton Community.
Retiring Stannator Andrew Hill made a surprise announcement to the school shortly before they came into the arena to perform at this year’s Plympton’s Lamb Feast in June informing them that they would be this year’s recipients of the award. It was arranged that a formal presentation of the shield would be made at a later date and this took place at the school’s end of term dance night before the summer break to enable as many students and parents as possible to be present to receive it.
Mr Hill told the students that he enjoyed their performances at the Lamb Feast and that they were getting the award for their numerous shows they had put on for charities over the years and for the joy they had brought to the people of Plympton in that time.
As well as their performances at the Lamb Feast the dance school have performed at many nursing homes over the years and have put on shows for the elderly at Harewood House. During the past four decades the school has also raised thousands of pounds for charities such as CLIC Sargent, Cancer Research, St Luke’s Hospice and AGSD-UK.
Accepting the award the founder of the Susan Jane School of Dancing, Sue Heesem, said that it was doubly meaningful to receive the Marjorie Lynden Shield as at the age of 18 Mrs Heesem’s first public performance with the school was in front of Marjorie Lynden at Harewood House and it was therefore extra special to receive an award which bore Mrs Lynden’s name.
Past recipients of the Marjorie Lynden Award have included Plympton Scouts, Woodford Guitar Group, Longcause School, Jon-Paul Oxley, Tom Boulden and Morgan Lewis.
More information about the Susan Jane School of Dance can be found at
Susanjaneschoolofdancing.co.uk
