Sophie Jepson takes to the Derbyshire Unstrictly dancefloor!

We are absolutely thrilled to announce that our very own Sophie Jepson, Project Manager at L.E.A.D. IT Services, has been revealed as the fifth dancer taking part in Derbyshire UnStrictly 2026 — the region’s most feel-good fundraising dance event!

Sophie was announced today by event organisers, and wasted no time introducing herself in her own words:

My name’s Sophie and I work at L.E.A.D. IT Services in Derby. I trained in education before moving into IT. I started out as an IT technician and have since progressed into a Project Manager role, where I spend my days coordinating people, projects, and just enough tech to keep everything running smoothly. My love of IT definitely follows me home too — I’m all about smart home automation and rarely have to touch a light switch… as long as I haven’t lost my voice and can still ask ‘Alexa’ nicely.

– Sophie Jepson, Project Manager, L.E.A.D. IT Services

Outside of work, Sophie is a proud mum and a busy volunteer. She helps create fun camping experiences for children with Derby Kids’ Camp – one of our two main charity partners – and describes herself as happiest when life is full and active. As she says: “You’ll often find me dancing around the kitchen while cooking or cleaning.”

And when it comes to dancing? Sophie has form. Growing up in a big family meant plenty of parties and weddings, and she spent many a Saturday perfecting routines with friends and cousins for impromptu home performances. “I’ll jump up when a party song comes on,” she says. “After many years, I’ve nearly perfected the moves… mostly…”

Now in a new edition, Derbyshire UnStrictly brings together business leaders, public figures and community champions who step well and truly out of their comfort zones for a spectacular night of dancing, entertainment and fundraising. This year’s event is targeting a record-breaking £20,000 for five fantastic local causes.

The event takes place on 27 June 2026 at Reach Conference Centre, Pride Park, Derby. Previous participants have included athletes, MPs and some of Derbyshire’s most recognisable faces — and this year’s line-up is shaping up to be the best yet.

Tickets start from just £25 and every single one makes a direct difference to the charities involved. You can grab yours at unstrictly.co.uk.

We are especially proud to see Derby Kids’ Camp and Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre amongst the supported charities — both are causes very close to our hearts here at LEAD IT, and ones we actively support as a business.

As our Director of IT, Lee Jepson, put it when we announced our sponsorship:

UnStrictly is such a brilliant event — it brings people together, has loads of energy, and most importantly makes a real difference. We’re genuinely proud to be supporting it as a Gold Sponsor this year. What makes it even more special for us is seeing the impact it will have on Derby Kids’ Camp and Derbyshire Children’s Holiday Centre — two causes we care so deeply about. We can’t wait to be part of it!

– Lee Jepson, Founder and Director of IT, L.E.A.D. IT Services

We wish Sophie every success on the dancefloor. The kitchen routines start here – but the Reach Conference Centre stage awaits! Come on Sophie! 🕺