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 goal? To raise vital awareness and prove to the world that it is absolutely possible to live well with dementia. Safe to say, Nick and the incredible Stockport community did us proud!
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!
Relive the Magic!
Our Instagram stories were buzzing all weekend with messages, clips, and photos. You can check out our Instagram story here:
Why We Keep Dancing
Last year, our community made history by logging 5,668 dances to protest the removal of the dementia diagnosis target from the NHS Operational Planning Guidance. This year, Nick took that movement to the next level. By dancing through the day and night, we are changing the narrative, challenging stigmas, and ensuring that dementia care remains a national priority.
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.
It’s not too late to support! If you haven't had a chance to donate yet, you can still support Nick's monumental 24-hour journey and help fund our vital work. Every pound helps us keep the music playing and change lives. 👉 Donate here: justgiving.com/campaign/24danceathon
Let’s keep Stockport dancing! 🕺✨
Bringing brilliant music, great food, and fabulous dancing to new communities this July.
We are absolutely thrilled to share some incredible news with our wonderful community! This July marks a massive milestone for the Dementia Disco family as we officially launch three brilliant new initiatives, bringing our total to 11 regular monthly discos across the country. Our mission to change how we age through the joy of music and dancing continues to grow from strength to strength.
Each of our events offers a safe, joyful, and fully inclusive space for people living with dementia, their carers, family members, and friends. Children are always welcome, ensuring these are truly multi-generational celebrations. Best of all, thanks to our wonderful partners, all discos include a completely free meal or light refreshments, alongside complimentary tea and coffee.
Our Fantastic New July Additions:
Our Oxford Disco
When: Starting Friday 3rd July, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, and then the first Friday of every month, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
Where: Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Kidlington, OX5 1AB.
Partners: Proudly sponsored by Dorchester Living and in partnership with Dementia Oxfordshire.
Details: We are officially bringing the party to Kidlington! Thanks to our amazing partners, guests can look forward to a spectacular evening filled with brilliant music, great food, and a wonderful community connection, with a completely free meal provided.
Our Shrewsbury Disco
When: The 1st Saturday of every month, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Launching Saturday 4th July 2026).
Where: Smithy's Bar, Shrewsbury Town Football Club, The Crowd Meadow, Oteley Road, Shrewsbury, SY2 6ST.
Partners: Proudly supported by the Shrewsbury Town Foundation.
Details: Kick-starting the month in style, our Shrewsbury event brings the disco magic to the football club! Attendees will enjoy great music, fabulous dancing, and free meals/refreshments in a brilliant community setting.
Our Urmston Disco
When: The last Friday of every month, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Starting Friday 31st July).
Where: The Sharples Building, 1-3 Church Road, Urmston, M41 9EH.
Partners: Run in wonderful collaboration with Age UK Salford & Trafford.
Details: We are partnering with Age UK Salford & Trafford to deliver a brand-new monthly fixture in Urmston. Guests can look forward to a spectacular evening filled with music, community connection, and a free hot meal.
Looking Ahead: Bootle and Beyond!
The momentum doesn't stop here. We already have more incredible venues in the pipeline, with our brand-new Bootle disco officially confirmed to join the calendar in August! We are deeply grateful to all our volunteers, funders, and local partners who make these magical evenings possible.
How to Book Tickets or Get Involved
All tickets are completely free but must be booked in advance to help us manage catering. You can book tickets or find out more about running your own local event through the following channels:
Website: www.dementiadisco.org
Urmston Booking & Enquiries: Call 0161 746 3944 or email Dementiaadvisor@ageuksalfordandtrafford.org.uk
Let's change how we age, one dance floor at a time.
Last month, we shared our excitement about welcoming three talented postgraduate students from the University of Salford on a 12-week work placement across May, June, and July. We promised to hand over the keys to our social media and champion real-world ownership. We are delighted to report that these students didn't just take the keys; they’ve supercharged the engine!
We are now about halfway through their placement, and the impact has been fantastic. They have hit the ground running, bringing an extraordinary mix of industry leadership, creative execution, and academic insights to our charity.
A Massive Impact Already
Thanks to their hard work, our followers are growing across all platforms. We’ve received countless lovely comments from our community about the quality and range of posts. They are effectively driving awareness for our eight monthly discos (soon to be 11!), our digital platform Dementia Disco TV, and our Daily Dance initiative.
But they have also recently demonstrated their unwavering support and professionalism during our 24 hour dance-a-thon (as reported above). Lizzie Carter, Henry Benedict, and JAIDEEP NATH [aka JD], who tirelessly reported on Nick's journey across our social media platforms. From the very first step to the last celebratory beat of the Conga, they were there, providing heart and support. Sarah Hodgetts at Salford Uni should be very proud of them.
Here is a closer look at the talented individuals transforming our digital presence:
🎵 JAIDEEP NATH (JD) – Digital Production & Marketing MA (Salford) JD joined us as an Executive Producer and Creative Director, with 25 years of end-to-end leadership across broadcast TV and digital media. Currently focusing on creator economies, JD is spearheading our creative direction and multi-platform campaigns. It is a privilege to have his senior industry perspective guiding our growth.
📸 Henry Benedict – Photographer & Post-Production Specialist With over five years of professional experience and expertise in high-end photo retouching, Henry is capturing the visual heartbeat of our discos. His technical precision across Photoshop and Lightroom ensures our community’s stories are told through polished, authentic, and high-quality imagery that truly reflects the joy of our events.
💡 Izzie Carter – Digital Video Production & Marketing MA (Salford) / Film Studies & History BA Hons (Liverpool) Isabella is a talented digital video producer specialising in audience engagement and strategic production standards. She is leading our short-form video strategies, ensuring our events connect dynamically with new and existing audiences alike across all social platforms.
Creative Brainstorming at Salford
This past week, I had a wonderful opportunity to spend the day with this brilliant team at the University of Salford.
We used the time to get creative and brainstormed a whole host of fantastic ideas for future content. They are an absolute pleasure to work with: so hardworking, professional, and incredibly talented. I feel exceptionally lucky to have this team running our social media.
This relationship is a powerful testament to our belief that providing meaningful work experience is a valuable investment in future-shaping talent. This team is not only changing Dementia Disco for the better, but also shaping their own futures in the industry.
We would like to once again thank Sarah Hodgetts MA Creative Video Production and Marketing for making this partnership happen!
We are excited to see what the final weeks of their placement bring.
How You Can Help
The best way to support this brilliant team is to engage with the content they are creating for us. Please keep liking, sharing, and commenting on their posts! Let's show our support and celebrate their brilliant work.
Thank you to the whole team. Let’s keep the music playing! 🎧✨
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!
Kate
