A big charity Ballroom Glitz contest taking place in Leicester next month has been postponed because of the coronavirus.
Some of the region’s top business people had signed up for weeks of training to take part and help raise upwards of £50,000 for the county’s Loros hospice and Hope Against Cancer charities.
Hundreds of supporters had been due to attend the black tie dance-off at the King Power Stadium – home of Leicester City FC – on April 2.
Tables for the night – being held in partnership with Derbyshire-based Ultra Events – had sold out.
Fiona Debney, legal director at Gateley Legal in Leicester, who initially came up with the idea, said they had had no choice but to make the difficult decision to put it back to the autumn.
Describing how she felt she said: “Gutted is nowhere near the mark.
“I am enormously proud of what we have accomplished so far.
“The dancers have all worked so hard and I couldn’t have asked for a more generous, funny - haha and peculiar - bunch of people to learn to dance with.
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“However, I am not prepared to put them or their loved ones at increased risk by carrying on and I want this event - when it happens - to be the best it can possibly be.
“We are hoping to reschedule it for the autumn and will work in conjunction with Ultra Events again who hold the monies from the ticket sales on behalf of the charities.”
Dancer Mike Pole, who runs financial management specialist Pole Arnold, in Leicestershire, said: “It’s a real shame because we were all working so hard.
“It’s been postponed until October and I want to carry on the lessons I’ve got booked so we can then at least video a reasonably decent routine that we can pick up with again.
“I understand why the decision has been made, but it was quite a decent group of people and we’ve been really enjoying it.”
Dominic Shaw, marketing director at Leicester design agency Creative Direction, was another of the contestants.
He said: “It’s gutting because of all the hard work and commitment shown by everyone taking part.
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“The night was meant to be a celebration of this and the money raised for two Leicester charities, and so understandably given the current circumstances it was impossible for the event to take place.”
Other dancers have signed up from firms including Howes Percival, NatWest, East Midlands Chamber and Santander.
Event sponsors include Gateley Legal, Cambridge and Counties Bank, Mattioli Woods and Quilter Cheviot.