We are absolutely thrilled to share the incredible news: our Dance Against Dementia campaign officially concluded on Monday 26th May, with a truly epic and unforgettable event!
To mark the end of our 66.7 days of dancing – a powerful response to the Government's removal of the 66.7% dementia diagnosis target – we embarked on a monumental 12-mile Dance-a-Thon!
Our journey began on Stockport Road in Mossley and saw us dance, sing, and play amazing songs all the way to Stockport Old Town. With a phenomenal team of volunteers by our side, we created an atmosphere of pure joy and determination. The support from the public was overwhelming: car horns were beeping, lorries were honking, and people even pulled over to donate to the charity on the spot!
By 4pm on 26th May, the campaign officially wrapped up as we proudly handed over our final dance total – an incredible 5,668 dances! These dances were presented to Rachel Wise from Labour for Reddish North, who will now pass them on to Navendru Mishra MP, for delivery to Wes Streeting in Parliament. We are confident that this powerful visual representation of community action will highlight the urgent need for renewed focus on dementia diagnosis.
This campaign has been a testament to what we can achieve when we come together. For more information about the campaign and its mission, please visit: www.dementiadisco.org/dance-against-dementia.
The wonderful Olivia Sanderson put together this vibrant and impactful film which takes you on a journey from March 21st to our epic Dance-a-Thon finish on 26th May. Go to the link on YouTube below:
We want to extend a colossal THANK YOU to everyone who danced along with us, shared our message, and supported this vital cause. And a very special mention and thank you to the following people:
On Broadway Dance Fitness - Stockport and Cheshire East
Jan Shaw, Dionne Armstrong, Lisa Healey, Laura Cosgriffe and Natalie Ozel and the Waterside Gym Didsbury for all their Zumba classes!
Stockport County Football Club for their support with the County Take Over!
Phil Bostock for your incredible dance routine for our Pyramid Flashmob
Royal Nawaab Pyramid
Cheadle Hulme Garden and Allotment Society
Weekend Day Centre for Dementia Care
Healthwatch Stockport
Sector 3 - Stockport Rocks
Burnage Rugby Club
Jean England
In Step Dance School
Ohana Theatre
The Adlington Morris Men
Your enthusiasm, generosity, and commitment made this campaign a resounding success. Together, we are making a difference in the fight against dementia.
With immense gratitude,
The Dementia Disco Team
I had the privilege of attending the launch party for the Independent Venue Community (IVC) charity on Monday 19th May, on the beautiful terrace of the House of Commons.
My attendance was twofold: to show our support for this wonderful organisation and, crucially, to continue the conversation about Dementia Disco potentially becoming a partner for IVC. We believe there's a fantastic synergy, as Dementia Disco would love to help IVC expand its valuable community reach, particularly to older people by providing Dementia Discos in their independent venues!
The IVC described it as an "incredible day," brimming with a positive and sunny atmosphere. The room was at full capacity with their amazing community, feeling like a true celebration of their collective achievements and the exciting possibilities for the future of independent venues.
A major highlight was the announcement of Brit award winners The Last Dinner Party as IVC Ambassadors. These passionate artists are strong advocates for the vital role independent venues play in fostering communities across the country.
The event featured a brilliant lineup of speakers who shared their thoughts and experiences of being part of the IVC family and the immense value of using venue spaces during the day to deliver social prescribing programmes – a concept that deeply resonates with Dementia Disco's mission!
Speakers included notable figures such as Dame Caroline Dinenage MP (Chair, Culture Media and Sport Select Committee), Lord Kevin Brennan, YolanDa Brown OBE DL, and many others from the music industry, advocacy, and even young participants of IVC's 'venn project.'
The launch also introduced a impressive list of new Patrons, including Ben Lovett of Mumford and Sons, Big Jeff, Philip Selway (Artist and IVW Ambassador), and a host of other respected artists and industry leaders. This high level of endorsement truly showcases the strong belief in IVC's work and what can be achieved through collective effort.
I thoroughly enjoyed representing Dementia Disco at such a pivotal event, connecting with dedicated individuals and organisations. The IVC's focus on utilising venues for social prescribing perfectly aligns with our vision of bringing joy, connection, and engagement to those living with dementia through music and dance. We're incredibly excited about the potential for collaboration to reach even more people and strengthen community bonds!
Watch this space for more news on this soon!
Organised by Sector 3 and the Stockport Volunteer Hub, this fantastic event, held on Tuesday 20th May, at Edgeley Park, celebrates the amazing volunteers who are the backbone of our community.
Dementia Disco was honoured to be nominated for the Stockport Moves award, recognising initiatives that encourage people to get active through sports and movement. We were invited to the awards ceremony and enjoyed a wonderful two-course meal and drinks, soaking in the vibrant atmosphere. The excitement in the room was palpable, filled with so many inspiring individuals and organisations making a real difference in Stockport.
While we were shortlisted for the award, we didn't take home the trophy this time. But honestly, it didn’t matter one bit! The energy in the room was truly amazing, and we were just so happy to be there, celebrating alongside so many dedicated volunteers.
Sector 3 also gave us a fantastic opportunity to promote our recently concluded Dance Against Dementia campaign! We were absolutely thrilled to get a whopping 400 people dancing to the fantastic "Great Pyramid of Stockport" by Antony Szmerick. The highlight was having Walthew House - Stockport's Centre for the Deaf and Blind join us on stage, bringing their incredible energy and signing for us – a huge thank you to them for adding such a special touch!
It was a truly memorable evening, reinforcing our commitment to bringing joy, connection, and movement to the Stockport community. A massive thank you to Sector 3 for organising such an uplifting event and for the chance to share the spirit of Dementia Disco!
