'Over 50s dance class improves my balance, mind and is a great social'
From helping to improve balance later in life to making new friends – a dance class for over 50s is adored by those who attend.
While the class started a decade ago, it was forced to stop for three years due to funding being taken away.
However, that changed through a meeting with Wirral Council’s Active You programme. At the start 2026, Active You provided the funding to ensure that members were again able to boogie and for free.
Held at Pilgrim Street Arts Centre in Birkenhead every Wednesday between 10.30am to 12pm, classes are without charge and involve learning dance routines that suits all abilities.
Exercises are designed to help build strength, balance and coordination that can reduce falls, while chairs are available for those who need support with the moves.
The class can also help with recovery after surgery, which is something that Sue can vouch for.
I had a partial hip replacement and these classes have been wonderful for my recovery.
My mobility has really improved because I’m building it up week after week. I’ve had falls prevention officers visit me after my operation and they’ve said I’ve got much better. They believe that the dancing helps.
The class improves my balance and my mind, while it’s a great social event. It just builds you up and when you leave, you just feel so much happier. You get a high off the exercise. I can come here and really enjoy myself.
Claire Thomson is the instructor and founder of the class. She was searching a collaboration that advocated strength and balance training outside of using traditional gyms, and felt the council’s Active You programme was the perfect match.
The dancers were ecstatic when they found out that the activity was restarting earlier this year. It did not take long for Claire to notice the many benefits to those who attend.
Physically, I have seen a massive change in the whole group since restarting.
We use chairs in the sessions to help with balance but now more of them are pushing the chairs away because they’re not needed!
Some of those who attend lacked flexibility in the shoulders but they have made significant improvements. We’ve had people who’ve had surgery and said they’ve recovered a lot quicker because of the exercises we do.
Our oldest member of the group said she didn’t do much exercise earlier in her life as it’d never been her thing.
She decided to give it a go and her balance wasn’t great at the beginning. Now, I rarely see her use the chair because her balance has improved massively.
The same lady is also the only sibling in her family who’s yet to be diagnosed with dementia. Having to remember the routines hopefully helps her and doesn’t bring on any concerns.
Claire is highly grateful to the support she has been given by the Active Wirral team since they started to work together.
Without funding from Active You, we wouldn’t be here and the team have been so supportive.
We’ve not had the funding given to us and been left to it. There have been constant check-ins and having that support from Active You is really helpful.
There are no expectations for anyone who attends the class. They can sit, watch and join in if or when they feel like it, as well as use a chair if needed.
For a recent session, Claire decided to split it into two, with half for dancing and the other serving as a social event. There are friendly faces aplenty and any newcomers are always welcomed into the group.
Gladys has been taking part in the class since the beginning.
We kept in touch with Claire and were really interested in restarting. It was great because you can struggle for things to do in the winter. I live on my own so coming here is a social.
A few weeks ago, Claire was unable to do the class but we decided to meet up. We have all become friends. I’ve always exercised when I was younger and this class keeps me going. It has mental, physical and social benefits.
The Active You programme plays an important role in supporting residents to stay active, independent and healthy as they get older. By helping people improve their strength, balance and coordination, these sessions can make a real difference in reducing the risk of falls and improving overall wellbeing.
It is particularly encouraging to see the success of the Over 50s dance classes at Pilgrim Street Arts Centre, which has built a loyal membership and provide not only physical benefits but also valuable opportunities for friendship, social connection and confidence-building.
These free community sessions demonstrate our commitment to helping people live healthier lives and remain active in later years. I would encourage anyone interested to find out more about the activities available through Active You.
Active You is a council programme that aims to create a movement for engaging and empowering residents across the borough to take ownership of their own health, reducing potential barriers and creating opportunities to be more physically active.
It is a community-based project, bringing people together to get fit for free. Sessions within council leisure centres will incur a cost if you do not have an Invigor8 membership.
To find out more about Active You and the range of classes available, click here.
