In July’s issue ….

Table of Contents

• Welcome Message from Mary

• Free Online Training Opportunities!

• Shout out to our intrepid abseiliers!

• Volunteers needed for Wythenshawe Dementia Café

• The Growth Company: help with job hunting

• Our Dementia Support Co-ordinators

• Our Dementia Support Workers

Welcome Message from Mary

We had afternoon tea and games, so much cake, live music, a disco, some pizza, and more cake. It was a busy but beautiful day of coming together to mark a whole decade of Together Dementia Support – celebrating all it is and all it has been to our members, carers, staff and of course, volunteers. We wouldn’t be who we are or what we are without our volunteering community, so thank you for all of your big hearts, time and talents that you so generously share with us. Here’s to another 10 years! 🥂

Here are some party snaps for you to have a look at:

And sticking with the theme of celebration:

A special note for all our recently graduated volunteers – congratulations from all of us here at TDS! University is never an easy ride, and everybody struggles with different things over the course of a degree – endless reading lists, deadlines, living away from home, feeling lost and overwhelmed in a new place, trying to find your people…it can be really hard, as well as really wonderful and exciting and fun. So, to make it to the end of any degree is an achievement – you did that.

And if graduation means the end of your volunteering journey with us, then thank you for making us part of your university experience. Thank you for making the time to be part of our community here in Manchester. We’re wishing you all beautiful, bright and magical futures – whatever that might look like.

Read on to find out what exciting things are happening this month, and as usual, take care of your precious selves.

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 07579831790

Free Online Training Opportunities!

Looking to boost your knowledge and understanding of dementia? Get your thinking cap on - here are two free online courses you can take in your own time, offered by The Wicking Dementia Centre. They recommend spending approximately 3 hours per week engaging with the course content, but you can really complete the courses at your own pace and get a certificate at the end!

The courses are:

Understanding Dementia: learn from global leaders in the field of dementia research and education, and gain knowledge to improve the quality of life for those living with dementia. The course covers:

• The Brain – get an understanding of the brain’s basic nervous system anatomy and function, discuss the diseases that cause dementia, and learn about current dementia research and future directions

• The Diseases – explore the differences between normal ageing and dementia, the risk factors, the issues surrounding diagnosis and the medical management of dementia

• The Person – begin to recognise the symptoms associated with living with dementia, as well as learning about dementia friendly communities, dementia friendly design and non-medical therapies.

The Understanding Dementia course is open now, until the 16^th September.

Preventing Dementia: This course is ideal for anyone who wants to learn about preventing dementia and the modifiable risk factors for dementia. The course covers key concepts in dementia prevention and the major risk factors – some we can change, and some we can’t. It also examines how we study dementia risk in populations, and the evidence between dementia risk and key vascular and medical risk factors, such as diabetes and physical activity. 

The Preventing Dementia course opens in October, but you can sign up now.

Shout-out to our intrepid abseiliers!

We wanted to take this opportunity to give a big shout out to those amazing volunteers who braved the 150ft Trafford Palazzo Tower to abseil in support of TDS:

Danielle, Simon, Anne, Amna - you are amazing!

Across two Saturdays, we had a team of 23 people taking on the tall challenge for TDS - carers, family members, staff, and of course volunteers - raising a whopping great big £7,061, and counting! What an incredible effort.

We’re so thankful to have volunteers that get stuck in with anything, from all our weird and wonderful activities at groups, to lowering yourself off a very very high tower – so many of you go above (literally!) and beyond for TDS.

Volunteers needed for Wythenshawe Dementia Café

The cafe always takes place at St Andrew’s Methodist Church, Brownley Road, Wythenshawe, M22 0DW.

Can you lend a hand on either of these dates? Let me (Mary) know!

The Growth Company: Support with job hunting and skill development

Searching for jobs or work experience can be an absolute minefield - navigating job applications and interviews, worrying you don’t have the right experience or skills for your dream job but not knowing where to get it, and picking yourself up when things don’t go to plan. It can often feel like we’re alone in those experiences. If that’s you, then maybe this will be of interest:

We’ve recently built a relationship with The Growth Company, an organisation that support those currently looking for employment, or searching for a bit of support and direction to help you achieve your goals. They run a programme specifically aimed at people in Manchester, aged 19+ who are currently unemployed and looking to take their next steps. They work with individuals at their own pace towards whatever their personal goals are, and offer free one-to-one coaching on all sorts of things:

• Wellbeing and Confidence building

• Managing finances, budgets and housing

• Job searching and career planning

• Skills and volunteering experience

• Families and relationships

The Growth Company also have a specialised offering for those aged 50+, which includes courses and interventions aimed at this age bracket and the specific challenges they may face. They help people build confidence, learn new skills, and then possibly move into volunteering or employment – whichever is right for the individual.

Our Dementia Support Co-ordinators

Our Dementia Support Workers