The Mission: Why We’re Still Dancing

In 2025, our community made history. Together, we logged 5,668 dances to protest the removal of the dementia diagnosis target from the NHS Operational Planning Guidance for 2025-26. But the rhythm doesn’t stop there.

This year Nick Shaw embarked on an epic 24-hour Dance-a-thon from 12pm on 26th June to 12pm on 27th June to raise awareness and prove a powerful point: you can live well with dementia. By dancing through the day and night, we are changing the narrative and ensuring dementia care remains a national priority.

Nick Did It! 24 Hours, 8 Hubs, and 1 Unforgettable Dance-a-thon.

What an absolutely incredible weekend! If you happened to hear music echoing across Stockport or saw a blur of dance moves and bright smiles moving from Life Leisure's hub to hub, you weren't dreaming. From 10:30am on Friday 26th June until 11:30am on Saturday 27th June, our very own Nick Shaw took on an epic, non-stop 24-hour Dance-a-thon for our #DanceAgainstDementia campaign.

‍The Grand Tour: How the 24 Hours Unfolded‍

Nick's marathon challenge was a whirlwind tour of every single Life Leisure hub in the area. Here is a look back at how those 24 hours of pure rhythm and determination unfolded:‍

The Warm-Up (Friday, 10:30am): The journey kicked off with fantastic energy at Houldsworth Village, where Nick eased into the challenge with a warm-up class.‍

The Afternoon Hustle (Friday, 1:00pm – 4:30pm): From there, the party moved to Brinnington Park to dance alongside pickleball and table tennis players. The lovely receptionist at the hub asked us to pop in to Appleton Lodge Care Home to say hello to her Mum, Margaret, so we did and had a boogie with the residents. Nick then continued to dance through Stockport Sports Village, before keeping the momentum going all the way to Romiley. At the Romiley hub, the kids gave Nick a good soaking, with an epic water fight, to keep him cool!‍

The Evening Boost (Friday, 5:30pm – 7:30pm): As the evening approached, the intensity dialled up. Nick joined a high-energy Spin class at Hazel Grove, followed by a brilliant 'Run n Rave' at Cheadle to officially kick off the night.‍

The Midnight Shift (Overnight): When the hubs closed, the dancing didn't stop. Nick kept the beat going right through the early hours at Heaton Mersey Community Centre, powering through the tiredness and dancing until the dawn of Saturday morning. His wife, Viki, and friends Leah and Alex kept him company on the dancefloor.‍

The Home Stretch (Saturday, 6am-8:15am): With dawn breaking, Nick made his way to Avondale and onwards toward the Burnage parkrun to greet early-morning runners with some serious rhythm.‍

The Grand Finale (Saturday, 10:00am): The challenge culminated in an spectacular Zumba party at Grand Central, ending with a massive, triumphant celebratory Conga line across Viaduct Park at 11:30am!‍

Thank You, Stockport!‍

An enormous thank you goes out to Nick for his unbelievable stamina and heart, to Lisa Arrandale, Jess Brown and all the staff and members who supported us at the Life Leisure hubs across Stockport.I would also like to say a huge thank you to our amazing Salford Uni students, Izzie Carter, Henry Benedict and JAIDEEP NATH [aka JD] who reported on Nick's journey across our social media platforms from the very beginning until the last step of the Conga. A phenomenal effort, unwavering support, positivity, professionalism and heart ❤️. Sarah Hodgetts you should be very proud of them.

Let's keep Stockport dancing!

You can watch the highlights :

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