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Preston Entrepreneurial Mum and Domestic Abuse Survivor to Host Global Fundraiser for Women’s Aid

Dani Wallace

An entrepreneurial mum of 3 from Preston who’s a domestic abuse survivor is on a mission to have ‘done her bit’ during Covid-19, through an ambitious fundraising initiative drawing in celebrities and high profile entrepreneurs to raise money for domestic violence charities whilst also supporting small business owners whose livelihoods are being threatened.

Dani Wallace, 36, who is a highly sought after international speaker and speaker coach, as well as a professional singer, is currently organising ‘The Big Festoon’ – a charity chat-athon featuring 12 celebrities and 12 entrepreneurs, coming together for ‘real talk’ around how they have chosen to thrive not just survive life in lockdown.

The full line up is to be announced this week…. Dani has already received a video of support from one of her idols, Macy Gray. She has also received messages of support from; British-American television personality Callum Best, TV Presenter Jenny Powell, Atomic Kitten Singer and Health Entrepreneur Natasha Hamilton, Hollyoaks Sophie Austin, Emmerdale star and WestEnd performer Natalie Anderson as well as representatives from Women’s Aid and the UK’s #1 Motivational Business Speaker, Brad Burton who will all be live on the day.

Why FESTOON? In bee terms… it is a lacework of bees hanging together, leg-to-leg, between the frames of comb is called a “festoon” and the behavior is called “festooning.” Dani hopes that many people will come together to link arms with her and others as part of this ambitious campaign.


‘The Big Festoon’ Coronavirus charity event will be running on 5th June and will be packed full of real talk, motivational pow wows, business inspo, power ballads and awesome DJ sets as celeb guests and business leaders come together to lift the spirits of the nation’s entrepreneurs and raise much needed funds and awareness for domestic violence charities at the same time.

The primary charity being supported is Women’s Aid, a grassroots federation working together to provide life-saving services and build a future where domestic violence is not tolerated.

Faye Connelly, Fundraising Manager at Women’s Aid said: “We’d like to extend a huge thank you to Dani and all celebrities and entrepreneurs involved in this exciting event! In recent months, we have all witnessed the spread and impact of Coronavirus and the threat that it poses to women and children experiencing domestic abuse. Many women will now be isolated at home with an abuser, with little safety and no way to access face-to-face support. Every penny you raise will make a huge difference to our work responding to this crisis and reaching more women who need our support.”

From Neuroscience to Natural Medicine, Mindset to Marketing, with some exclusive entertainment thrown in, the show will blend business with pleasure as all guests lift the lid on how they are dealing with isolation, throwing a good dose of reality into the mix, and challenging the social media pressure of the insta perfect lives.

Taking place on Dani’s online TV programme, Show Up, Wise Up Rise Up, via Facebook, the event is to be a mammoth 12 hours of interviews, trainings, chats and entertainment aimed to life spirits whilst also offering valuable advice to those businesses who are struggling, or who desperately need to pivot.

Dani said: “This situation has been tough on us all so let’s hit some truth bombs and not sugar coat it as the Mary Poppins Insta feed of lockdown life can leave us all feeling like failures – so let’s be real, be raw, but also be ready to lift each other up, as we CAN learn from this, and rise up – we can choose to #FlyAnyway “

Dani Wallace is a mum of 3, an international motivational speaker, celeb speaker coach and singer, and is a survivor of domestic violence and homelessness thanks to intervention and support from local services. When Dani was 4 months pregnant, the relationship came to a violent head and after one particular incident whereby she was almost strangled, with the help of DV services, Dani was able to escape the relationship.

She has featured on Channel 5 sharing her story and championing for further government investment into domestic abuse victim services. Having grown up on the council estates of Preston with a troubled home life she is now someone recognised as a leading voice in female empowerment, and Dani always vowed that when she could she would give back. She feels that now is the time when it is most needed.

Leader of the I Am The Queen Bee Movement (#IATQB) Dani is helping thousands across the world Show Up, Wise Up and Rise Up, with her free advice and motivational teachings so that they can take life by the big ol’ lady balls and step up into their birth right of success. Hit between the eyes one day with her purpose, after watching Bee Movie with her kids, Dani heard this message:

“According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly. It’s wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway, because bees don’t care what humans think is impossible” – and ever since she has been on a mission to help others who shouldn’t be able to fly, to fly anyway.

This charity event is driven by her passion and purpose to support those who need it from the 2 sides of the coin of her life – those suffering as domestic violence victims and those suffering as entrepreneurs trying to cling on to their livelihoods -as both have been threatened by COVID-19.

Dani said: “ Reports of domestic abuse and violence across genders has risen by an insane 700% since the beginning of lockdown. We NEED to help. Now is the time where those of us in a position to do so must do our bit – to inspire, motivate and uplift each other but also to support those more vulnerable than ourselves. I am no big shot, but I am keen to use my loyal audience to make a difference here and am calling on others who are passionate about using their voice for good to join me. But let’s keep it real – we’re all struggling in varying degrees and I crave a bit of honesty right now. So alongside raising shed loads of cash for incredible charities let’s connect, communicate and collaborate on a very real level to remember we are all human amongst all this madness”

The show will run from 8am to 8pm (UK Time) to capture as many time zones as possible so Dani can serve her global audience. Viewers will be asked to donate after each segment of the show.