Multigenerational rave

The TotRockinBeats NYE Spectacular saw 1,000 people of all ages gather at the Assembly Hall in Worthing.

Organiser Dan Flanagan said: "When I was putting together the plan for new year's eve, I thought it would be nice to invite a few OAP rockers, who might otherwise be spending the night on their own."

He made arrangements with Guild Care and thanks to a £200 donation from The Lazy Brunch café in Goring Road, a minibus was organised to collect the ten guests from their homes.

Dan said the café staff were kind enough to come up with the cash after his original arrangements fell through.

He explained. "I applied for a fund to get a minibus from the nice folks at Guild Care, so we could nip round, pick them up from their homes, get them fed, a few drinks and partying with some new young friends.

"Unfortunately, due to a small admin error, the funding didn't go ahead. I was quite if I am honest brokenhearted.

"Then something quite lovely happened. I popped into my local cafe and mentioned to the lovely ladies behind the counter what had happened. They then stopped me in my tracks and offered to donate £200 to help make it happen."

The idea for TotRockinBeats came to Dan in 2016 when he was sitting at home in Ripley Road, Worthing, bored on new year's eve.

Dan said: "Two years down the line, it is surreal. I get to work with some amazing people and together we've done 15 events.

"We are regularly selling out 1,000-capacity venues and are joined by babies, toddlers, mums, dads, grannies and granddads who all want to party with us. We make up the rules as we go along and as long as people are safe and happy we just keep doing it.

"This new year's eve was special for so many reasons. Seeing the faces of so many different types of people smiling and laughing together and being able to think 'this is actually my job' and then getting hugs and kisses from strangers thanking you, that really is something very special indeed."