AN ALL swinging all dancing group of local men and women are ready to hit the dance floor for a fantastic fundraising event.

Wilmslow Business Group is hosting a charity Strictly Come Dancing evening at Dance Fever dance school in Wilmslow on Saturday, February 7.

Seven couples, including Wilmslow’s Police Inspector, Luke McDonnell, Wilmslow florist Dave Bolton and our very own reporter Rachel Leslie, make up the all-star list of contestants taking part in the charity competition.

All money raised will be donated to local charity Scamps.

Dave Bolton said: "One of the aims of the business group is to raise money for national and local charities. The Strictly Come Dancing idea was suggested to us as an event due to its popularity. We have people from different businesses and organisations across Wilmslow taking part and all money raised will be donated to Scamps theatre group. Tickets are already selling fast."

Under the tutelage of dance teachers and experienced students at Dance Fever, the novices were given less than three weeks to learn a basic ballroom and latin routine and have been attending twice-weekly sessions to perfect their steps ahead of the big night. And just like the hugely popular BBC show, the winning couple will be decided by a mixture of judges' scoring and voting from the audience.

The three judges are Dance Fever belly dance teacher Laura Seal, Neil Mastin, an experienced dance student who competes on the national circuit, and the head judge is Ray Bulpit, a national dance champion from Zimbabwe, teacher at Dance Fever and also a judge for the UK Alliance Dance Association.

Rachel Leslie said: "I’m doing the foxtrot and jive and after two lessons am feeling less than confident.  The evening will have a ‘Strictly’ format, with a panel of judges so it should be quite entertaining - here’s hoping this journalist has better feet and more rhythm than John Sergeant."

There will also be a buffet, provided by Sainsbury’s in Wilmslow, and a raffle at the end of the night, with incredible prizes up for grabs which have been donated by businesses in the area.

The couples taking part are: Wilmslow businesswoman Diane Atkinson and Dance Fever pupil Robert Exell, Inspector Luke McDonnell and dance teacher Hayley Stevens, reporter Rachel Leslie and dance teacher Richard Little, Dance Fever owner Andrew Fotherby-OBrien and human resources director at Freedom Finance Sarah Green, florist Dave Bolton and dance teacher Kerry Dunnill, Sainsbury’s manager Steve Morris and dance teacher Alex Howarth, and Waitrose manager Kerry Bakewell with dance student Brian Harris.

Tickets for the event cost £14 and can be bought from The Flower Shop on Water Lane, at the Dance Fever studio or by calling the studio on 01625 536060.