What a day! On Sunday 17th August, Dementia Disco embarked on its biggest adventure yet—our annual trip to the legendary Blackpool Tower Ballroom! For the first time, we filled two coaches with our amazing disco-goers and volunteers, making this our largest takeover since we started this tradition back in 2019 (with a little pause in 2020, of course!).
The sun was shining and it was a scorcher of a day, but the heat couldn't stop us from having an absolute ball. The afternoon began with a delicious three-tiered afternoon tea, complete with tasty sandwiches and cakes. There was so much food that we all had a doggie bag to take home, with our amazing volunteer Deborah making a special delivery to our friends Brian and Anne, who sadly couldn't make it this year.
The highlight of the day was the music! The famous Wurlitzer Organist rose majestically from the floor to entertain us all. And guess what? We got a special shout-out! The organist played some incredible '70s disco classics just for us, which was the perfect cue to hit the dance floor. We all got up on the famous sprung dance floor for two group numbers led by a professional Blackpool dancer, including a giant Okey Kokey that had everyone laughing and dancing.
It was truly wonderful to see so many smiling, happy faces enjoying the music and the moment. Some of our group even took a walk along the seafront to enjoy the beautiful weather, but the ballroom's slightly cooler interior was a welcome retreat as the temperatures soared. By the time our coaches arrived to collect us, we were all worn out—in the best way possible!
A massive thank you to our incredible supporters, Mottram Jive Club and the Rotary Cheadle Royal, for their generous funding. This magical trip wouldn't have been possible without you, and your support made so many people so very happy.
Until next year, Blackpool!
What a milestone! On Saturday 26th July Dementia Disco celebrated its 6th birthday in style at the very place our journey began: the Heaton Mersey Conservative Club. It was a fitting location to mark six years of music, dancing, and community.
Since our very first disco in July 2019, we've returned to this wonderful club every month, with the exception of the lockdown months. Over these six years, our family has grown. We launched a second disco in Cheadle Hulme in January 2022 and, more recently, a third in Poynton in April 2025.
In total, we've now hosted an incredible 101 free discos and served over 4,000 free meals! This is all thanks to the incredible support of our volunteers and the amazing community that has grown around us.
For our big birthday bash, the atmosphere was electric! The club was decked out with vibrant, colourful decorations, and we celebrated with a fantastic giant cake. A huge thank you to the wonderful Jan and Kirsty at the Conservative Club for putting on an amazing BBQ for everyone. The food was delicious!
We also want to give a special shout-out to AG Balloon Arrangements for the fabulous birthday balloons that added that extra sparkle to our party.
We can't wait to see what the next six years will bring!
August was a month to remember, filled with incredible live music that got everyone on their feet! We were so fortunate to host two fantastic live performances that brought extra energy and joy to our discos.
Our first live act took place at the Poynton disco on Saturday 2nd August. We were thrilled to welcome a new duo featuring the wonderful Rick from the Monkuleles and solo artist Tony. They teamed up for the evening and delivered a fantastic set of old favourites that had the dance floor packed all night long. The evening was warm, but the dance floor was even hotter! There’s something truly special about live performers, and the interaction between Rick, Tony, and the crowd was just wonderful. A huge thank you to both of them for a very special performance!
Just one week later, on Saturday 9th August, we were treated to another spectacular show at our Cheadle disco. This time, the full Monkuleles ukulele band came to perform for us. We were lucky enough to have them at our Heaton Mersey disco back in February 2024, and they were kind enough to return for another round of singing and dancing. As always, they played all the songs everyone loves, and it was a joy to see so many happy faces singing along and dancing the night away.
A massive thank you to Rick and the entire Monkuleles band for sharing their amazing talent with us once again. Your music makes such a difference!
Our vision is to create a world where people living with dementia are empowered to experience joy, connection, and well-being through the power of music and community.
Our mission is to provide inclusive and accessible discos that inspire memories, spark conversations, and foster friendships among people living with dementia, their carers, families, and friends.
Until the next time keep dancing!
