Strictly fundraising for Shrewsbury couple

And the great-grandparents, aged 80 and 78 respectively, show no signs of hanging up their dancing shoes just yet – as they continue to host three dance lessons every week.

Mr and Mrs Brayne, of Salcombe Drive, Shrewsbury, both became qualified dance teachers 30 years ago.

The couple, who then worked at the Lazy Trout cafe in Marshbrook, near Church Stretton took up dancing as a hobby.

Mrs Brayne said: "We used to work so hard that on a Sunday, when we had the day off, we wanted to do something for ourselves, so we decided to take up dancing and we enjoyed it so much we decided to become teachers.

"My husband wanted to compete but I used to freeze up.

"Once you become professionals you are not allowed to enter competitions."

Over the years the couple have taught hundreds of people, holding several dance lessons a week, as well as a monthly charity dance.

They specialise in sequence dancing – a popular form of social dancing based on the normal ballroom and Latin steps.

Everyone in their classes dances to the same 16 bar sequences at the same time.

The couple also have a love of country and western-style line dancing.

Every Monday and Friday night Mr and Mrs Brayne host dance classes at St Giles Hall in Springfield, Shrewsbury.

They also lead a Tuesday afternoon session from 2pm until 4pm in aid of Age UK.

The caring couple also host a charity dance on the first Sunday of every month at Shawbury Village Hall – with budding dancers flocking from Market Drayton and Whitchurch to take part.

Money raised from this event is donated to lots of different charities.

Proceeds from all the many classes and dances have generated a colossal sum for dozens of worthy causes over the last 30 years.

Mrs Brayne said the total raised reached more than £250,000.

Charities which have benefited from the couple's generosity include Help For Heroes, Macmillan Cancer Support, Arthritis Research UK and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Last year alone, the couple's Tuesday afternoon dance lesson raised more than £3,000 for Age UK; a ceilidh held to celebrate Mr Brayne's 80th birthday last April generated £1,000 for Brain Tumour Research, and a dance held at Shawbury Village Hall last weekend raised around £200 towards a new scanner at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

As well as charging to attend the dances, the couple also raise cash for charity by baking cakes and holding raffles at the events.

The couple, who have been married for 59 years, have four children, 14 grand-children and five great-grandchildren – they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2004 with a charity line dance.

The couple's granddaughter Ami Ligus heaped praise on their efforts, and Kevin Moore of Age UK Shropshire also thanked the couple for their fundraising over the years.

He said: "We are extremely grateful for all their efforts."