A FESTIVE dancing competition taking place this weekend in Coventry has brought out the competitive edge in a contestant.
Neil Littlewood is taking part in Strictly Christmas – a regional charity dance extravaganza where novices are paired with more experienced dancers to learn two dance routines – in aid of Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice Coventry.
Neil, membership and sales account manager at Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, is determined to beat the £4,004 raised at last year’s event by his wife Louise – and has enlisted some high-profile support to help him.
Neil has been partnered with Sarah Smith – also known as the Strictly Christmas Queen – and has been put through his paces at twice weekly practices.
Neil was given a Coventry City FC shirt signed by the squad by Sky Blues centre back Liam Kitching, which he will use to raise money for Zoe’s Place at Strictly Christmas.
He has already raised more than £3,000 through events such as a ‘dartsathon’ challenge where he was sponsored to accumulate 100,001 points in a day.
And he has been given a Coventry City FC shirt signed by the squad by Sky Blues centre back Liam Kitching, which he will give attendees a chance to win at the event for a small donation.
Neil said: “Training is going well. It’s tough, but Sarah is a great teacher and I’m picking it up as each week goes by.
“I was really inspired by Louise doing Strictly Christmas last year, but the sentiment stopped there – now I want to go past her fundraising total, even if it’s just by £1! My competitive edge has really kicked in.
“And while it’s a bit of fun, I’m trying to do anything I can to bring in money because I know what a great cause Zoe’s Place is and the incredible work they do.
“I am a Coventry City season ticket holder – I go home and away – and I ended up speaking to Liam Kitching about my challenge. Straight away, he said he’d sort me out with a shirt signed by all the lads and met me pre-match to hand it over, which was so nice of him.
“Now I’m giving people the chance to win it by doing an old-fashioned football black-out if they make a donation of £10.
“I am so grateful for all of the support and, genuinely, just want to raise as much as I can at the same time as making Sarah – and Louise – proud when I am on the dancefloor.”
Taking place at The Royal Court Hotel in Coventry on Friday (December 12) and Saturday (December 13), Strictly Christmas 2025 will see 23 brave local contestants take to the floor alongside their experienced dance partners.
A star-studded celebrity judging panel includes BAFTA-winning actor David Bradley, former BBC Strictly Come Dancing Pro Dancers James and Ola Jordan, Vincent Simone and Erin Boag, Flavia Cacace-Mistry, and her husband, Coronation Street actor Jimi Mistry.
James Sanders, Show Director for Strictly Christmas, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled with the level of excitement and support for this year’s show.
“Our contestants and experienced dancers have worked incredibly hard to deliver unforgettable performances across three shows.”
Over the past decade, Strictly Christmas has raised over £800,000 for Zoe’s Place, which provides specialist care and support for babies and young children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.
Visit https://tinyurl.com/4yec3t7b for tickets.
Visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/neil-littlewood-2 to donate to Neil’s fund-raiser.
