TDS Newsletter June 2023

Your TDS Newsletter June 2023

June 22, 2023

in June’s Issue…..

Welcome to your June newsletter
Make a Difference and Join our Trustee Board
Tai Chi and Walks for Brain Health
Carers Week 2023
The 75th Anniversary of Windrush
Easyfundraising - Help us!
Tips for Talking to People Living with Dementia
Thank You Day
Empowered Conversations
Free SIM Cards at Manchester Libraries
Hallé Relaxed Concert
Buy a Forget Me Not
Our Dementia Group Leaders

Hello,

I hope you’ve all been coping with the hot weather. Asa gardener, I’ve been pleased to have rain in this last week as the plants have really been struggling.

There have been some lovely things going on at TDS – trips out for our members, and for carers, during Carers Week. Have a look at the photos further down. This week we will be marking the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the Windrush generation in the UK. Two of our members attended a reception at the Town Hall and our Gospel Choir will be singing at the Windrush Festival in Alexandra Park on Saturday. We can clearly see the many benefits of the multi-cultural communities in which we live and work and we salute our older Caribbean members who have worked hard and brought so much to Manchester.

At the same time, I’m fully aware that a number of you carers are really struggling – with hospital care, to get the home care that you need, or are simply exhausted by the relentlessness of caring. Do take any steps you can to look after yourself – book in for a massage, book a one-one walk with our Support Worker, ask for a Care Assessment (and consider getting a Personal Budget to pay for your relative’s homecare), or at least offload with a counsellor or other carers. The TDS Carers’ WhatsApp group is a great place to get advice and sympathy.

I recently had a helpful response from on of the council staff about care homes. I learned that there is a significant shortage of care home beds in Manchester (but was also given an up to date list of care homes). There was also a suggestion that we should tell people more about the extra-care housing schemes in the city as these might be an alternative to a person with dementia going into residential care. Speak to us if you want more information

For us, as a charity, we are continuing to seek more volunteers for our groups and to enable our Together At Home project. We’re also trying to raise the large outstanding amount required to purchase a new minibus with a tail lift – as well as the business-as-usual funding required to run our services. If you have links to any companies who might make us their charity of the year, or who would like to sponsor a new minibus, please let us know.

I hope you can enjoy the Summer months. We’d love you to share any of your stories - good or bad! And we’ll send you a £10 gift voucher for any contributions.

Contact Here

Make a Difference and Join our Trustee Board

Volunteers are vital to the life of our charity. We have volunteers who support our members with dementia and a few others who support you, as carers. We also have volunteer trustees who oversee the safe and professional running of the charity. They have varied skills and work experience. However we currently have a vacancy for a trustee and we’d really like to have a trustee who is a carer and can bring that expert experience to the board. Even if you feel you don’t have work experience in finance or management, you have SO much important knowledge about how our services work and could grow.

So please consider whether you would be willing to support the charity as a trustee. If we have two carers who might fit the bill then we would probably take on both as they would be able to support each other and cover for the other if one is unable to attend the board meetings.

You’re invited to get in touch with Jeff, our friendly Chair of Trustees, if you are considering whether to apply.

Trustee Role

Board Role

Contact Jeff

Tai Chi and Walks for Brain Health

We have had quite a few sessions of Tai Chi in groups now –The North Manchester and the Moss side group have had a few sessions – all the Dementia cafes will be having a taster session and we also commenced a 3 week intro to Qigong and Tai-Chi on the 20th June. All benefiting from the Big Brian Health Fund.

The North Manchester group have embraced these sessions to the full and really don’t want them to stop. Mike found that all members were involved and the focus of the group trying to achieve the movements was so strong. We hope this introduction to gentle Tai Chi will help with mobility, posture and carers will lean some relaxation techniques! In the Qigong sessions we all got taught to start breathing from our diaphragm or just being more aware of where our breath comes from, and we learnt a simple QiGong routine – with some of the visualisation of letting go of things carers carry and also to start finding the joy and playfulness in life. The feedback after the session was very positive.

Anne, our sessional worker has been running some 1:1 walks with Carers and some group walks in Wythenshawe – again members and carers are really benefitting from getting out and one carer said she feels she’s been able to take a deep breath for the first time.

We also have some Carers Summer Walks upcoming:

Evening walk: Thursday 13th July – 6.30pm -8pm @ Salford Quays (3k flat walk)

Daytime: Saturday 29th July – 10am – 12 pm @ Chorlton Ees (5k flat walk)

Optional drink in a pub or café at the end of each work (not included)

Contact Anna to book on the walks

Carers Week 2023

On Tuesday we had our Dementia Café at Beswick, which was so much fun. We had speech and language therapists there, offering some really helpful advice. We also had Tai Chi to help relax our minds and bodies, as well as a skilled massager to further relax our carers. It was such a relaxing and calm atmosphere that we all thoroughly enjoyed.

We also had our Carers Evening Zoom, talking about knowing when the time is right for a person living with dementia to be referred into a care home and weighing up the pros and cons of care at home vs assisted living vs care home.

Our Carer's Social was also a major success, visiting HOME Theatre for the fabulous Hot Brown Honey, focused on destroying gender stereotypes, all whilst leaving us dancing on our feet and singing. Our carers left very happy!

To finish it all off, we had more massage from Paulette (who did the massages at Beswick). They had 5* reviews and we had lots more happy carers. Caring is tough and we hope to relieve a little bit of pressure and relax our carers, even if it is only a temporary relaxation. Anna, our Carer Support Leader does a fantastic job!

The 75th Anniversary of Windrush

This week marked the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the Windrush generation in the UK. Two of our members attended a reception at the Town Hall.

Easyfundraising - Help us!

Scan the QR code above and you could really help TDS!

All you have to do is download the app after making an account and every time you buy from certain brands, the app will notify you and some proceeds will go to us.

So why not treat yourself to some new clothes and help TDS at the same time?!

Tips for Talking to People Living with Dementia

This booklet has some tips for talking. You may need help with some of the tips. You can use the tips that you like. There is also advice at the end of the booklet for the people you talk to.

Get Your Booklet Here

Thank You Day

Sunday July 2nd is the UK’s third annual Thank You Day, which in the last two years has brought over 15 million people together to strengthen bonds and create kinder communities. It is an opportunity to remember and thank everyone who cares for others in the UK.This year, music is at the heart of the celebration. When we share our musical likes with others, they learn more about us and this can help us feel more connected.Encourage others to tell you about what they like to listen to and if you’re not a carer yourself but know someone who is, there are simple practical ways in which you can support them and remind them that they are not alone.

To mark Thank You Day, Tony Christie, who shared his dementia diagnosis earlier this year, is re-recording ‘Thank You for being a friend’. The team behind Thank You Day want everyone to join in with Tony on 2nd July, from your living room, in a choir, as part of your carer’s group or even in the supermarket shopping aisles if you wish (apparently this really is a plan so watch out for a sing-song in your Asda baked bean aisle!)

Watch Tony Here!

Empowered Conversations

Empowered Conversations courses have shown to reduce stress and improve connections with family members living with dementia. You might benefit from attending a communication course.

The next Empowered Conversations course will be on:

Thursday 10th August, 10am – 12pm

Get in touch

Free SIM Cards at Manchester Libraries

Any Manchester resident (over 18 years) who is struggling to pay for data on their device can now get a free sim that comes loaded with free data. Sims come with free internet access for a total of 6months, no monthly top up required. All you have to do is call into your local library. Find out more using the link below:

Look Here!

Hallé Relaxed Concert

The next Hallé dementia-friendly relaxed concert will be taking place as follows:

Date: Friday 14 July 2023

Time: 2.30pm

Venue: Hallé St Peter's, 40 Blossom St, Ancoats, Manchester, M4 6BF

Tickets:£3

This concert is perfect for people living with dementia, their carers, adults with learning difficulties, stroke survivors or anybody from a vulnerable community who wishes to experience classical music in a relaxed and informal environment. There is also the unique opportunity to interact with the Hallé archive before the concert (included in £3 ticket price).

Further information & Eventbrite link to buy tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/halle-relaxed-concert-tickets-654772761957?aff=oddtdtcreator

Buy here!

Buy a Forget Me Not

Only £15.99!

Loving memories cast in steel by the British Ironwork Centre.

These beautiful Memory Blooms have been exclusively crafted for Together Dementia Support.

We have a limited number and they may not be re-stocked once sold out. Order yours today and brighten up any corner with the memory of your loved one.

Buy Here!