Volunteer Newsletter March

Here is Your TDS Volunteer Newsletter March 2025

Mary Sharples
March 17, 2025

In March’s issue ….

Welcome Message from Mary
What’s been going on at groups…
📚 Learning Opportunities & Reading Suggestions! � …
🏡 Together at Home stories: Sarah & Pat 🏡
We’re looking for Sessional Workers!
Join Team TDS for the Great Manchester Run!
Our Dementia Support Co-ordinators
Our Dementia Support Workers

Welcome Message from Mary

Hi, lovely volunteers

Welcome to your first newsletter of 2025! New Year already feels like a lifetime ago, and lots has happened since, but to my shame - I’ve only just got round to sending this newsletter out to you all. Forgive me.

We’ve celebrated Valentine’s Day, Pancake Day and marked the beginning of Ramadan and Lent - and it feels like we’ve left the dark, cold days of winter behind us for another year. There’s new-ness everywhere - tiny new buds on the trees, daffodils and crocusses carpeting the parks, and - if you know what you’re listening for - the sounds of Chiffchaffs singing from the treetops. Tiny little warblers, Chiffchaffs depart for the warmer climates of southern Europe and North Africa in autumn, but are one of the first birds to return - proclaiming that spring is here, and heralding longer days and brighter skies.

Mary, Volunteer Co-Ordinator

This is a Chiffchaff - NOT a picture of me.

Chiffchaffs are named after their distinct song - just two notes, with equal emphasis, that give it that ‘chiff chaff’ sound. Have a listen here, and see if you can identify one near you.

Sorry, that’s my bird tangent over - what was I talking about? Ah, Spring! Yes, each morning is a little brighter and the birdsong gets a little louder, the daylight lasts a little longer, and little by little Manchester grows greener around us each day. I’m a great lover of the wonderful poet, Mary Oliver, and as spring creeps it’s way into our parks and gardens, I’ve been thinking about this quote from her poem Invitation:

It is a serious thing
just to be alive
on this fresh morning
in the broken world.

You can read the whole poem here.

Read on to find out what exciting things have been happening these past few months, and as usual, take care of your precious selves.

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 07579831790

What’s been going on at groups…

Here’s what we’ve been up to for the past few weeks - pancakes, trips, flowers & fun!

Pancake flipping at Wythenshawe!

Birthday celebrations!

Spring flowers at Levenshulme!

Decorating plant pots at Moss Side

Flippin’ hell…

A trip to Salford Quays for PY!

Walk & Talk enjoying the sun!

Fun and games at North Manc!

📚 Learning Opportunities & Reading Suggestions! 📚

Do you want to learn something new about dementia and how best to support people?

Dementia Community are a new collaboration of dementia professionals who are trying to keep on sharing best practice. They do this through a free to access online magazine and a series of webinars - you don’t have to be a part of Dementia Community to access these.

You can read an online copy of their most recent journal below. Sally, our CEO, has recommended the article ‘Cognitive Rehabilitation in the community’ on page 27.

CR is an evidence-based approach that supports people with mild to moderate dementia to function at the highest possible level in relation to specific meaningful goals (or SMART goals), reflecting what is important to people.

It’s worth a read, and shares the reflections from the people living with dementia that took part in the CR project.

🏡 Together at Home stories: Sarah & Pat 🏡

Sarah (volunteer) and Pat enjoying a craft activity

Every week, 22 hours of Together at Home visits take place in member’s homes, carried out by our 2 Dementia Support Workers and 9 wonderful volunteers. These visits take place quietly and out of sight, but the value and impact they have on members is huge. We’re trying to put more of a spotlight on this amazing work, and the ways in which volunteers help us provide a truly person centred service - building positive and important social relationships, and delivering creative and meaningful activities.

We asked Sarah, one of our fabulous volunteers, to share her experiences of the service - read on to hear her T@H story…

I have been a TAH volunteer since August 2023 and have been visiting Pat in her home about once per week ever since. Pat and I tend to do a lot of colouring in, stickers by numbers, seasonal crafts and occasionally go out for a cup of tea. We chat a lot and have gotten to know each other quite well and have developed a lovely relationship which I think we are both grateful for.

Pat’s dementia has developed and her situation has changed since I met her, but her strong family values and passion for drawing and colouring in has persisted. Pat has always talked about how important drawing and colouring has been for both her previous career and her general well-being. I feel that the consistency which the TAH service has provided for Pat, a carved out piece of time for a chat and to be creative, has helped her to maintain an important part of her identity, which may have been forgotten without TAH actively seeking and encouraging what makes Pat feel rewarded.

From feedback I have gathered from both Pat and her husband, the sessions will usually leave Pat feeling more upbeat in comparison to before the session. This has a positive knock on effect to Pats wider circle and community. I think this really sums up the value of a service as a whole, as it benefits a circle of people in the service users life, beyond the volunteer and service user.

As a TAH volunteer, I have noticed that I have become more confident in interacting with people who I wouldn’t typically come into contact with. This has been really important for my studies as a student who is an aspiring allied health care professional. Not only have I learnt about dementia generally, but also the importance of person-centred care, which I think TAH exemplifies. Overall, the service benefits everyone in the community of people involved.

Sarah Curtis, T@H Volunteer

Could you be a Together at Home volunteer? Do you want to know a bit more about what’s involved? Get in touch with Mary:

📞 07579831790
✉️ [email protected]

We’re looking for Sessional Workers!

Join our team!

Soon we’ll be looking for flexible Sessional Workers for our new project - Together Out and About.

It’s a service where a paid sessional worker (this could be you!) will support and enable one of our members living with dementia to get out and about in their local community - perhaps going out to lunch, or to a gallery or museum, or for a walk and a coffee. These visits will help members to access both old and new activities, helping them to actively maintain their interests and confidence.

These visits will also provide family carers with more breaks and opportunity for respite during the week, as the visits will be around 3 hours long.

Could that be you? Do you know someone who fits the bill?

We're planning a staggered start to the project whilst we advertise to families and social services - however, if you feel this could be an opportunity for you, please email Claire with you expression of interest: [email protected]

Join Team TDS for the Great Manchester Run!

Pictured below are our glorious 2024 team of members, carers, volunteers and staff - proudly flashing their medals after finishing the Great Manchester 10k. And this year, we’re going again!

Dust of your trainers, redownload Strava, and join us on Sunday 18 May 2025 to walk, run, roll or jog your way around the mean streets of Manchester for Together Dementia Support. And yes, if you sign up, you DO get a lovely bright green running shirt to wear for the occasion - fashionable AND functional, am I right?

Team TDS after the 2024 10k!

You don’t need to be Eliud Kipchoge or Paula Radcliffe…in fact, you don’t even need to run it, if that doesn’t work for you - our team last year walked it together. It would be really WONDERFUL to have some serious volunteer representation - and a great way to share TDS with your friends and family.

The link below is only to sign up for the 10k, but if you have your eye on a bigger challenge and fancy the half marathon - get in touch with Mary.

All we ask is that you raise a minimum of £200 in support of our work - this also helps us cover the cost of your entry, t-shirts, etc. We’ll send you all the information about fundraising, setting up your JustGiving page, plans for the day and the t-shirt size and type you need.