Music brand Dance Till Dawn celebrates passing £10,000 fundraising milestone

Dance Till Dawn has raised £10,427.03 through its events while at the same time, helped to create new spaces for DJs to perform, supported local venues and brought nightlife experiences back into the town.

The money raised has been split between Cransley Hospice, Emmy’s Fund and Give Northants which have received £8,134.35, £1,535.44 and £757.24 respectively.

Dance Till Dawn was founded by Kettering DJ Reece Speechley in 2022, initially as a way of creating something new for the town’s house music scene.

Its first charity fundraiser was in August 2024 - following the death of Reece’s close friend, Elliott Ward, who had received care and support from Cransley Hospice.

Wanting to give something back to the charity that had supported Elliott and those around him, Reece used Dance Till Dawn to bring the music community together and raise money in his memory.

Mr Speechley said: “Elliott was a really close friend, so that first fundraiser for Cransley was incredibly personal to me.

“They supported him and the people around him at a time when it really mattered and I wanted to find a way of giving something back.

“We already had Dance Till Dawn and this amazing group of people who would come out and support what we were doing, so using that to do some good just made sense.”

What began with one fundraiser has since become a central part of what the brand does.

Mr Speechley added: “I don’t think I ever imagined when we did that first charity event that a couple of years later Dance Till Dawn would have raised more than £10,000.

“The best thing is that it hasn’t come from one huge event or one big donation.

“It’s come from people turning up, having a dance, supporting local DJs and venues and putting a few quid towards something that matters.

“Thousands of those little moments have added up to something we’re incredibly proud of.”

Chelsea Marshall joined Dance Till Dawn later in 2024, with the pair since working together to grow the brand, its events and its fundraising.

Since that first fundraiser, Dance Till Dawn has continued to use its events to support good causes, with events taking place at venues including The Beeswing and the former Aura in Kettering for Cransley Hospice, Vintage Vault for Emmy’s Fund and most recently The Wayfarers for Give Northants.

Fundraising is only one part of a wider model designed to have a positive impact on Kettering's nightlife, music and hospitality scene.

Rather than relying on traditional nightclubs, Dance Till Dawn regularly transforms pubs, bars and other spaces that would not ordinarily host dance music events into temporary venues.

The idea was developed partly in response to the loss of many of Kettering’s traditional nightlife spaces.

By taking events into existing local businesses, Dance Till Dawn can give DJs somewhere to play, give people access to dance music events without having to spend a fortune travelling to bigger cities and bring new audiences and additional bar revenue into local venues.

Chelsea said: “For me, one of the most special things about Dance Till Dawn is how many different parts of the local community it can bring together.

“We’ve lost so many of the places where people used to go out locally, but we haven’t lost the DJs, the music or the people who want to experience it.

“By popping up in pubs and bars, we can create those experiences right here on our doorsteps while hopefully giving something back to the venues that open their doors to us too.

“When an event works, the DJs get a platform, people get a great day or night out on their doorstep, the venue gets a new audience and a strong day behind the bar, and we can raise money for an important local cause at the same time. We want it to be an ecosystem where everybody gets something from it.

“I might not have been there at the very beginning, but since joining Dance Till Dawn I’ve seen first-hand just how much this community cares about it.

“Passing £10,000 is a massive moment, but that total belongs to every DJ who has played, every venue that has backed us and every single person who has come through the door.

“We’ve also been incredibly lucky to have local businesses sponsor a number of our Beeswing events, helping us raise even more for charity. It really is a community effort from every angle.”

Dance Till Dawn will return to The Beeswing in Kettering on Saturday, October 31, with DJs playing from midday and music running throughout the day and into the night.

Entry will be £3 on the door, with all profits donated to Cransley Hospice.

Details of an afterparty are also due to be announced. For more information, visit https://linktr.ee/dancetilldawnuk