A MUM who uses pole dancing and burlesque lessons to help boost women’s mental health through ‘gravity-defying superhero moves’ has won the UK’s Happiest Workplace Person award.

Natalie Morgan-Dew, who has battled through anorexia and agoraphobia herself, runs the Mizz Twisted Cherry Aerial and Alternative Dance Studio in Ross-on-Wye.

And after being nominated by husband Ben and her students, she scooped the honour at the National Happiness Awards at Salford’s Media City.

“To make the top three was an honour and achievement in itself, but to win at national level was amazing,” she said. “I was overjoyed at the news.

“I received a cheque for vouchers of my choice and have spent this on my daughter and a pizza night for all my students to say thank you for nominating me.”

Natalie, who says 70 per cent of the students at her Chase Industrial Estate studio come from the Forest, added: “Mizz Twisted Cherry Studio is a hub of support and enrichment.

“We believe that making fitness fun and helping people achieve great physical triumphs in lessons aids people in improving their mental health and self-esteem.

“Mental health is just as important as physical health. The way we teach our classes promotes this.

“We have fun, we get silly, but we also make gravity-defying superhero moves and support each other through whatever life has in store for us all.”

The prize-winning pole dancer and instructor battled anorexia and agoraphobia for 12 years and beat the disease when she fell pregnant with daughter Ophelia, who is now four and hit the headlines herself this year when she was named MENSA’s youngest member.

Husband Ben said: “Natalie has helped victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse seek the right help, helped people who have lost children and loved ones and helped people through divorces and anxiety. She is there for anyone, no matter who they are.”

The National Happiness Awards were launched three years ago by learning and development consultancy Laughology, and attracted more than 200 nominations this year, which were whittled down to just seven winners.

Dave Keeling, of Laughology, said: “Natalie has overcome personal and health challenges and turned her experiences into positives which she uses to support and encourage others.

“She runs an alternative dance studio which teaches burlesque and pole dancing, which has also become a support network for the women who go there.”