One Billion Rising - Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre - 12.30pm -1.30pm - 14/02/20

One Billion Rising - Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre - 12.30pm -1.30pm - 14/02/20

Feb, 11 2020


~Never underestimate the power of the female gender. When you look back in history it appeared man was the dominant leader. That all changed when the first female Prime Minister was elected in 1979. This empowered a whole cluster of mature women across the country then, in 1996 a certain girl band took over the pop charts that gave a unique  meaning to the words “girl power” and inspired young women to do good.

Sadly, in the modern era women have been treated terribly. Let’s just review some statistics.

One in three women will be beaten or raped in their lifetime.
With the world population at seven billion, this adds up to more than one billion women and girls.
In Preston, over 4,000 women and girls aged between 16 and 59 have suffered from domestic violence.

So with all these dire circumstances, what is being done about it? Since 2012 a fantastic campaign has been addressing the above facts and combating the fight against women and young girls in other  issues too  such as worker exploitation, poverty, racism, refugee rights and transphobia.

Based on the growing statistic, ‘The One Billion Rising’ campaign delivers a one hour choreographed dance to an empowering tune that occurs on Valentines Day, February 14th.

This is not just a local event it takes place all around the world and organisers hold each dance session in a safe place such as a school or place of worship.

 The CCG are delighted to be staging the event this year inside the Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre. It will be led by instructor and World Salsa Dance champion Phil Kaila and Salsa Northwest. Interested ones should aim to arrive at 12.15pm with the session beginning at 12.30pm and concluding at 1.30pm.

Expect wide media coverage as well as unique participants including local politicians and emergency services and representatives from the Prince’s Trust. 

Nigel Farnworth, UCLAN  Creative Communities Group (CCG) manager who is helping to organise the gathering, said these words in the build up to the 2020 event,

 “We are delighted to be supporting what is becoming an increasingly important campaign each year on a global scale. We want to invite all members of the local community to come along on the day to dance, sign and stand together in demanding an end to violence against women and girls.”

People are free to turn up on the day at the Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre on UCLan’s Preston Campus, which sits behind Foster Building. Anyone wanting more information can contact Nigel Farnworth on NFarnworth4@uclan.ac.uk or by calling 01772 894707.

The event will be filmed and then shared on the One Billion Rising website along with others from across the world.

Discover more about the One Billion Rising movement by visiting their website or follow @VDAY on Twitter. More information about the UCLan Creative Communities Group can be found on their website, or follow @ccg_uk on Twitter.

  • Standing in solidarity against violence to women
  • UCLAN to host One Billion Rising community event
  • Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre
  • Friday 14th February 2020 12.30pm – 1.30pm

^Alex Ashworth CCG UK Blogger