Denise The Dinosaur Community Fund
Donation protected
Denise The Dinosaur Community Fund
This is a fundraiser to raise money for a Denise the Dinosaur Community Fund.
The funds will be used to benefit the people of Burton-on-Trent and surrounding areas by the delivery of a Dinosaur parade and party on the Barleyfields Estate that promotes local businesses and arts, science and technology events and activities.
Denise The Dinosaur was born during the first UK Covid-19 pandemic lockdown and wants to create hope through action and a lasting positive legacy for the community from these dark days.
The Denise the Dino Story:
Kat Rowan (Denise The Dinosaur) and Linda Lyn Cunningham (Didi) have being going around their estate in Burton-on-Trent and live on Facebook dressed as an inflatable T-Rex dinosaur and circus ringmaster to bring some 'roaring' laughter and happiness every lockdown Tuesday 18:00 – 19:00 - It's call 'T-Rex Tuesday'.
You can view our adventures and activities on www.facebook.com/DeniseTheDino
We initially begun this when we went outside during lockdown and posted a picture on the community Facebook page. Lots of people asked for us to walk past their house - we did a lap of the estate and there was laughter at every home and faces lit up. People wanted more, so we begun doing 'T-rex Tuesday' every Tuesday on the estate.
We have been posting arts and crafts dinosaur activities and videos (including some by Jane Rose Smith, a local artist) to keep all the Mini Dino's (children) busy (e.g. a dinosaur puppet made out of an old sock, a dinosaur made out of an empty toilet roll, dinosaur masks). The children are wearing them and displaying them in their windows and those off the estate have been posting pictures to our Facebook page.
We also wanted to help those in need or in isolation, so we began doing food hampers, medicine drops etc. If anyone needs anything on the estate (food parcel, shopping, an electric meter card topped up, a chat or help of any other kind) they can contact us via our Facebook.
Linda and Kat wanted to create some light and a lasting legacy from these dark times. They are raising money, initially for a dinosaur celebration parade/ community remembrance, thanks and get together in the park for when lockdown is over (and it will be over!). The intention is to give people something to look forward and work towards, and to bring the community together with smiles and laughter.
Any additional funds raised (if there are any) will go to the setup and delivery of a not-for-profit charity for the promotion of Arts, Science and Technology in the area, that delivers events, workshops and training to people from all ages and backgrounds and provides a space where people of all ages can find help in the use of technological/communication devices.
Linda says: ‘My work in theatre and performance has taken me across the globe into out-of- this-world event spaces, universities and locations but I’ve always wanted to share this with my local community and plant the seeds of something long-term here in the Midlands. This was such an accidental happening and we are absolutely loving all the waving, smiles, dancing, and roaring laughter that our community (including us) are having together and we want to continue this past these dark days.
As a former health worker, I have found that laughter is such an amazing medicine, and whilst it is a privilege that many of us can connect socially via technology, not everyone has the skills or knowhow to do this – we want to change this using the skills we have by providing training. Even those who can connect via technology are now experiencing communications in such a different way. We are so used to being in proximity to one another, and we believe safe proximal relations are still needed - we are pack animals after all!
Denise the Dinosaur walking down these streets does not discriminate - everyone here has windows and doors where you do not need a telephone line or broadband to see/hear/meet her and her sidekick Didi. It is something to talk/laugh about, someone you can turn to for support and is something a little bit different – we want to bring some light into peoples’ lives during these dark times and in the future, as they have brought so much into ours.’
About Us:
Denise (Kat) and Didi (Linda) are both from the same household and T-Rex Tuesday is there one hour of exercise every Tuesday. They practice safe distancing (and carry a dinosaur crossing sign with 2 metres on it, in addition to using a whistle to keep people at a distance).
Kat Rowan is a Head of Science at a Warwickshire school with 13 years teaching experience.
Linda Lyn Cunningham is a Performance Practitioner and Performer (acting/singing/dancing/online) who trained and works alongside NTL/Odin Teatret. Linda has spent many years as a Lecturer in Theatre, Music, Dance and Performance (including Technical Theatre) in addition to being a Theatre and Performance Technician/Designer/Engineer/Operator and has worked with the likes of Ed Sheeran, Stereophonics, on The UK Olympics, Co-founded Chester Pride and volunteers managing, maintaining and co-delivering the newsletter for The Magdalena Project - an international network for the promotion of women's performance. She is also a current Theatre and Performance Ph.D. Researcher at De Montfort University and an active participant-researcher in The International School of Theatre Anthropology.
We would be greatly appreciative of anything you are able to donate at this time, no matter how much - every penny will make a difference!
Keep smiling and be ROAR-some!
Denise and Didi
This is a fundraiser to raise money for a Denise the Dinosaur Community Fund.
The funds will be used to benefit the people of Burton-on-Trent and surrounding areas by the delivery of a Dinosaur parade and party on the Barleyfields Estate that promotes local businesses and arts, science and technology events and activities.
Denise The Dinosaur was born during the first UK Covid-19 pandemic lockdown and wants to create hope through action and a lasting positive legacy for the community from these dark days.
The Denise the Dino Story:
Kat Rowan (Denise The Dinosaur) and Linda Lyn Cunningham (Didi) have being going around their estate in Burton-on-Trent and live on Facebook dressed as an inflatable T-Rex dinosaur and circus ringmaster to bring some 'roaring' laughter and happiness every lockdown Tuesday 18:00 – 19:00 - It's call 'T-Rex Tuesday'.
You can view our adventures and activities on www.facebook.com/DeniseTheDino
We initially begun this when we went outside during lockdown and posted a picture on the community Facebook page. Lots of people asked for us to walk past their house - we did a lap of the estate and there was laughter at every home and faces lit up. People wanted more, so we begun doing 'T-rex Tuesday' every Tuesday on the estate.
We have been posting arts and crafts dinosaur activities and videos (including some by Jane Rose Smith, a local artist) to keep all the Mini Dino's (children) busy (e.g. a dinosaur puppet made out of an old sock, a dinosaur made out of an empty toilet roll, dinosaur masks). The children are wearing them and displaying them in their windows and those off the estate have been posting pictures to our Facebook page.
We also wanted to help those in need or in isolation, so we began doing food hampers, medicine drops etc. If anyone needs anything on the estate (food parcel, shopping, an electric meter card topped up, a chat or help of any other kind) they can contact us via our Facebook.
Linda and Kat wanted to create some light and a lasting legacy from these dark times. They are raising money, initially for a dinosaur celebration parade/ community remembrance, thanks and get together in the park for when lockdown is over (and it will be over!). The intention is to give people something to look forward and work towards, and to bring the community together with smiles and laughter.
Any additional funds raised (if there are any) will go to the setup and delivery of a not-for-profit charity for the promotion of Arts, Science and Technology in the area, that delivers events, workshops and training to people from all ages and backgrounds and provides a space where people of all ages can find help in the use of technological/communication devices.
Linda says: ‘My work in theatre and performance has taken me across the globe into out-of- this-world event spaces, universities and locations but I’ve always wanted to share this with my local community and plant the seeds of something long-term here in the Midlands. This was such an accidental happening and we are absolutely loving all the waving, smiles, dancing, and roaring laughter that our community (including us) are having together and we want to continue this past these dark days.
As a former health worker, I have found that laughter is such an amazing medicine, and whilst it is a privilege that many of us can connect socially via technology, not everyone has the skills or knowhow to do this – we want to change this using the skills we have by providing training. Even those who can connect via technology are now experiencing communications in such a different way. We are so used to being in proximity to one another, and we believe safe proximal relations are still needed - we are pack animals after all!
Denise the Dinosaur walking down these streets does not discriminate - everyone here has windows and doors where you do not need a telephone line or broadband to see/hear/meet her and her sidekick Didi. It is something to talk/laugh about, someone you can turn to for support and is something a little bit different – we want to bring some light into peoples’ lives during these dark times and in the future, as they have brought so much into ours.’
About Us:
Denise (Kat) and Didi (Linda) are both from the same household and T-Rex Tuesday is there one hour of exercise every Tuesday. They practice safe distancing (and carry a dinosaur crossing sign with 2 metres on it, in addition to using a whistle to keep people at a distance).
Kat Rowan is a Head of Science at a Warwickshire school with 13 years teaching experience.
Linda Lyn Cunningham is a Performance Practitioner and Performer (acting/singing/dancing/online) who trained and works alongside NTL/Odin Teatret. Linda has spent many years as a Lecturer in Theatre, Music, Dance and Performance (including Technical Theatre) in addition to being a Theatre and Performance Technician/Designer/Engineer/Operator and has worked with the likes of Ed Sheeran, Stereophonics, on The UK Olympics, Co-founded Chester Pride and volunteers managing, maintaining and co-delivering the newsletter for The Magdalena Project - an international network for the promotion of women's performance. She is also a current Theatre and Performance Ph.D. Researcher at De Montfort University and an active participant-researcher in The International School of Theatre Anthropology.
We would be greatly appreciative of anything you are able to donate at this time, no matter how much - every penny will make a difference!
Keep smiling and be ROAR-some!
Denise and Didi
Organizer
Linda Lyn Cunningham
Organizer
England