This July, we invite you to see just how much change we have dared to make since CEO Ursula Joy founded Ldn Dares Drama Co in 2013, by reading our externally compiled Social Impact Report.
Ldn Dare’s Mission
Across a span of seven years, Ldn Dares has helped over 1500 participants who have successfully completed either individual sessions, or full ‘Dare Session’ courses. Our priority has always been to improve the self-esteem of our Darers, giving them the opportunity to develop the self-confidence and compassion necessary to live a full life. With the help of Make an Impact CIC, we have had the opportunity to measure exactly to what extent our bespoke ‘Dare Sessions’ have improved our participants’ lives and wellbeing, and in turn, the wider community.
the report results
The results of Heidi Fisher’s research into Ldn Dares have consolidated the importance of embracing your body, and our role as a social enterprise that believes no one should be held back from achieving what they want because of their body or looks. The report found that 100% of Darers had on average a 38% reduction in appearance anxiety, and that 78% had a more positive self-perception of their body by the end of the programme. Such statistics have affirmed our programme's ability to facilitate and nurture Darers’ body confidence, and as a result aid their overall mental wellbeing. Heidi noted the course's ability to help Darers utilise drama skills and techniques to develop personal strengths and a locus of control within their lives. Due to the self-esteem and positive body image, they gain through the ‘Dare Sessions’, and ‘LGBTQIA+ Dare Sessions’ programmes, Darers graduate able to pursue new opportunities in their real lives, leaving behind prior fears.
Heidi collated data which demonstrated that the 12-week 'Dare Sessions course has a significant impact on the personal lives of our Darers, and provides participants with the coping mechanisms and personal skills which reduce their need for future mental health intervention. This means, for every £1 spent on Dare Sessions, we generate £6.91 of social value. As a result, Ldn Dares are able to save thousands annually on mental health resources. The report has highlighted our contribution to local physical and mental health, and validated our core purpose, which is to provide social and educational support to our community.
Hear from our darers
As part of Fisher’s report, we received testimonies from previous darers, who expressed how their experiences with Ldn Dares improved their body confidence and overall mental health. Namely, one Darer included in the report is Gaz, who prior to completing our bespoke LGBTQ+ programme struggled with their mental health, and to direct their life after clinical recovery. They suggest that although the support they received prior to 2019 was vital, they were “surviving, not thriving”. However, after enrolling onto the Ldn Dares LGBTQ+ course in 2019, Gaz was able to “commit, and also experience a sense of achievement”. The course helped reignite their love of dance, passion for performance and their life in general. The report and Gaz’s full story are available on our website, which we hope give our readers, and perhaps interested participants, an insight into the opportunities and outcomes of our work.
Hear from founder, ursula
We caught up with founder Ursula Joy to ask her what the report meant for Ldn Dares future: “The report shows outcomes and statistics achieved which all stem from the lives of individuals. The people that have been on our programmes, many of whom I have fond memories and am grateful to have got to have known… there has been some remarkable people step through the door and onto the stage…Enrolling on a course named ‘dare’ can seem quite nerve-racking in itself! We hope one day to close the doors when there is no need but while there is a need we endeavour to do our best for the communities we serve.”
You can read the full Social Impact report at: ldndares.com/social-impact-report