Deborah Molwuka

Deborah is the founder and Chair of Move and Inspire Charitable Association which began as one simple dance class in 2011 and now has a thriving full timetable fo 8 busy classes, some with waiting lists due to their popularity. She has a dance background from being a toddler and founded The Swing Jive Dance Company teaching modern jive and Lindy Hop until 2005.  Deborah trained as a Zumba instructor in 2011 and since went on to gain qualifications in Older Active Adults, Exercise to Music, Nutrition for Sports, Level 3 Anatomy and Physiology, a Diploma from Yoga Professionals; Level 2 Advanced Practitioner status in Gentle Somatic Yoga and a Diploma in Exercise Referral.

She draws on her academic skills as a retired Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University in Sheffield when preparing class and has found that previously being a Senior Nurse at Sheffield Children’s Hospital has stood her in good stead for understanding the complex medical issues that are presented by many class members as they tackle the ageing process with her expert help.  She loves to take an exercise or traditional Hatha Yoga pose and turn it into a Somatic Flow using her training from James Knight, founder of Gentle Somatic Yoga and is aiming to add to these Flows to her YouTube Chanel over the summer months whilst on sabatical. She is passionate about facilitating class members to embrace a sucessful ageing process which she believes the Somatic approach is most useful in employing for that aim.  She would certainly regect any notion that certain conditions, postural tendencies and mind sets are an inevitable part of the ageing process and works with her clients to resist cultural naratives and social constructs that may hold their progress back by being deeply embedded in limiting agist discources.

She manages and administersl 8 community classes per week in the South Yorkshire area aimed at over 45’s. She writes a regular blog covering anatomy issues, common illness and disabilitie issues relevant to the over 45’s and provides notes and YouTube playlists for her regular Yoga Class Members.  She personally speaks to all new members in a FREE one to one 2 hour risk assessment meeting to ensure their involvement in class is taylored to their physical, mental and emotional needs.  This includes taking blood pressure and other vital signs and coming up with many solutions to health and well being problems.    She works one to one with folk for whom group work is not suitable.  Due to her background as a psychologist, she is particularly skilled at supporting those with anxiety issues.  She also oversees the Charity’s activities such as fund raising activity; luncheons and free educational programmes for local Senior Citizens.  The money raised is used to sponsor those older adults those who would not ordinarily be able to access classes because of financial restraints. The aim is to release the burden from the NHS by providing funded spaces and offering educational programmes that help older adults take greater responsibility for their health care needs.

In her (very tiny amount of) time off, she loves to spend time with her three dogs, who you will meet at her daytime Dance Fitness classes.  The fur family consist of an 12 year old obedient black Labrador called Ben; a recently retired Guide Dog, Lora who is 9 (and the least obedient of them all ha ha ha) and little Maisie who is a 2 year old mongrel rescued from the a Kill Shelter in Cyprus by Mayflower Sanctuary in Bawtry.   She is a regular attender at the very lively and community-active Legacy Church in Doncaster.  She loves to try her hand at art which she finds increases her focus and ability to be mindful and she attends the weekly local art class in Tickhill.  Because of her technical abilities (she is a bit of a geek) she is self taught in being able to make sketches using her iPad and Apple Pencil.  Mostly pictures of dogs of course!

Deborah has been happily married for 26 years to Neil who is a Principal Consultant at Tata (was British) Steel in Rotherham who you will see on the dance floor in all evening classes and at Yoga on Friday night.  Neil and Deborah founded the Swing Society at Sheffield University and the two taught weekly Swing Jive nights in Sheffield and surrounding areas before retiring to the Tickhill area.  You will see the influence of their Lindy Hop days in the playlist.  Deborah founded and administrates 3 local community Facebook forums, providing useful local information to members: Bawtry Community Forum, Blyth Community Forum and Tickhill Canine Lovers Group.  The couple currently regularly walk with the group “Labrador Walks in Yorkshire”; go away in their caravan on walking holidays and enjoy spending time visiting and hosting events with Neil’s family who live in Lancashire.

Deborah’s YouTube Channel LINK