PRE-SCHOOL children at the the Fizzy Boppers pre-school dance group are enjoying their new brightly coloured pom-poms, bought with a grant from the Palmers Brewery Fund.

Fizzy Boppers was set up in January this year by four mums (Georgie Easton, Julia Dodds, Kelly Critchell and Kim Sibley) from the Maiden Newton area. It’s a high-energy, maximum fun, music and dance group for 0-5 year olds. Each session combines catchy action songs with props and instruments and a themed section, which changes every 10 weeks. So far the group has enjoyed Salsa, Country and Western and the Swinging Sixties.

The group was a massive success right from the start. It currently runs sessions in Maiden Newton Village Hall, Netherbury Village Hall and Dorchester Corn Exchange and is planning a fourth group in Crossways starting in September.

Kelly Critchell from Cattistock said: ‘We are four mums who had a conversation about setting up a music and dance group for our own children and children in the village to enjoy. One of our key features was that it would also offer a ‘social time’ so that parents and carers would also have the opportunity to meet new people and families.

‘Our Maiden Newton group proved to be an amazing success, showing that families in the local area need what we have to offer and families came asking if we could run sessions in their areas.’

The group is non-profit making and as it grew it needed more equipment. They applied to the Palmers Brewery Fund and were awarded £200 for big pom-poms to shake as a part of the dance sessions.

‘Fizzy Boppers is a great community initiative and just the kind of activity we love to support,’ said Gary Adcock, Palmers’ finance director.

Palmers Brewery Fund is for community causes in West Dorset. For more information and to download an application form, visit the Fund section of the Brewery website. You can also pick up a form in person from the Brewery office in West Bay Road, Bridport. Deadline for the next applications is 1 November.