DOREEN FRANCE; Arts award

Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England), June 23, 2009

DOREEN France has been dancing for a lifetime.

She's taught dancing for more than 40 years, raised thousands of pounds for charity and worn out four hips in the process.

Despite facing major surgery later today, Doreen, in a showstopping red dress, sang for the awards audience and picked up another accolade to sit alongside her MBE.

"I'm thrilled and a little surprised. But it's been a great night and a morale booster for me before my operation," said Doreen.

The Crosland Moor woman set up her dance school when she was just 15-years-old and has taught generations of people to dance.

For 20 years she worked with patients at Storthes Hall hospital, Kirkburton, involving them in singing and dancing sessions.

She has acted, choreographed and directed shows across the region and calls on her many friends in the entertainment world whenever a charity needs a helping hand.

In recent years, she's cajoled many of them into appearing in a blockbuster of a fund-raising show which plays to packed houses at the Lawrence Batley Theatre.

This year, she's already raised more than pounds 4,000 for local charities, including the West

Yorkshire Forget Me Not Trust, Small Steps and for the Andrew Spencer Benevolent Fund, set up in memory of a talented young Huddersfield performer who was a tap dancing star! Over the years, Doreen has raised more than pounds 75,000 for charity.

" I'm going to keep doing what I do for as long as I can, because I really enjoy it." . Other nominees in this category were the Marsden-based Avalanche Dodgers and Suga Brown

CAPTION(S):

* THRILLED: Doreen France (right) with the Examiner writer Val Javin AC220609Fawards-10.jpg