Dancing with Dementia TAR
October 2024 to September 2025
| October 2024 to September 2025 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Part | 1 | Overview |
| Part | 2 | Social Events at The Grand Palais, Humphrey Booths Resource Centre and |
| The Boundary Stone | ||
| Part | 3 | Festive Giving |
| Part | 4 | Days Out |
| Part | 5 | Ongoing projects |
| Part | 6 | Fund Raising Events |
| Part | 7 | Cost of Living Advice and Support |
| Part | 8 | Awards accredited to DWD |
| Part | 9 | Co-op Community Fund |
| Part | 10 | Raising Awareness of Dementia |
| Part | 11 | Supporting Research |
| Part | 12 | Volunteers |
| Part | 13 | Moving forward |
Part 1 Overview
This year has seen magnificent developments for Dancing with Dementia. Having achieved the prestigious award, The King’s Award for Voluntary Service we have had unexpected developments with the business and public sector worlds. . We are now partners with Swinton Lions Rugby club and we are also in discussion with The Salford Institute of Dementia working with a team researching the effects of perfumes on mental health and dementia. Further development work with the Purple Angel charity has seen the start of working with RHS and creating an awareness event that is the first global syncretised walk ever to be held, and we are so proud to be part of it. This additional activity has created yet another year of growth. Dancing with Demetia has continued to work with many local businesses, community groups and health professionals raising the awareness of the dementia condition and advising on the network of support that is available. We have continued to support university students by arranging interviews and filming sessions that promote both the dementia community and the support that is available.
Part 2 Dancing with Dementia Social Events at Grand Palais
The attendance at the social afternoon has continued to rise and is an ever-popular event. With the additional networking during the year, raised awareness of our events and projects has led to this increase of guests. Anne Bellis has continued to attract excellent artists and extended the number of artists as part of the portfolio of vocalists to entertain our guests. We have attracted additional care homes who attend, and this has increased the number of attendees. The sales table is very popular and brings in welcomed revenue. The care homes have prebooked tables which allows the guests to be seated promptly and without any delay which may cause stress to the guests. We have “Pop up” sales tables that allow donations too be made to various organisations such as Dementia UK and Purple Angel Charity
The artists at the Grand Palais include:-
| Month | Name |
|---|---|
| October 2024 | Lareena Mittchell |
| November 2024 | Daniel Winters |
| December 2024 | Paul Scholey |
| January 2025 | Gina Kay |
| February 2025 | Louie Devere |
| March 2025 | Lareena Mitchel |
| April 2025 | Daniel Winters |
| May 2025 | Kadie Jo Green |
| June 2025 | Paul Scholey |
| July 2025 | Tony Mac |
| August 2025 | Lareena Mittchell |
| September 2025 | Paul Arron |
Music and Dance with Dementia at Humphrey Booths Resource Centre
The attendance rate at this event has maintained a regular number of attendees averaging 70-80 guests per week. New and varied artist come along to entertain the guests. We engage with local care homes and sheltered accommodation venues to reach out into the community for those who are vulnerable, feel isolated, lonely or depressed. We are working with Aspire to increase the number of events we offer by creating a meal project later in the year, to include other diverse groups who may feel isolated or lonely.
The Dancing with Dementia Lunch Club at The Boundary Stone
The numbers attending this has maintained a steady 40-50 guests per month with differing form of entertainment from Ukelele bands, local choirs, duos and singers and themed events such as VE day and a Pirate themed event with games and quizzes to ring the changes. A huge success, reaching out into the community to offer help and support
Part 3 Festive Giving
Working with a local community group, Our Hearts Our Community and DWD has given out approximately 500 gifts to local care homes in the local community. Allison and her team are working under the Dancing with Dementia banner and are creating beautiful, hand-crafted soft toys and cushions which are being sold to help to finance the Christmas boxes for the care homes. Allison and her team have also been supporting local care homes supplying the soft toys and cushions to them.
Goodie bags of sweets, chocolate and biscuits were delivered to Salford Royal Hospital, Bolton Royal Hospital and the Woodlands Dementia wards with donations from a local company Metalube, based in Irlam.
We held a festive party for our guests at The Grand Palais Swinton. Our guests were treated too with a Festive Buffet for our December event, using a local catering company, a fun filled afternoon was enjoyed by all.
Part 4 Days Out
DWD supported guests who are isolated or lonely to be part of the local community and feel valued.
The “Chippy Tea” at The Kingfisher Chippy on Salford precinct.
Briers Hall Festive party
Pantomime at Bolton.
Blackpool Tower Ballroom Afternoon Tea Thursday March 27[th] - we had obtained funding from Blair Charity, and we were able to fully fund the trip for 60 guests. It was as usual an enjoyable trip and in true DWD style , we performed our now famous conga. We have it on good authority that it was the best Congo the Tower Ballroom had ever seen!
Part 5 Ongoing projects
Birthday Box Project:
Going into its 5[th] year our Birthday Box Project is going from strength to strength. Birthday gifts and cards are wrapped and sent with love into care homes for residents with no family members. These residents become part of the DWD family. Now working with seven care homes and providing over 400 gifts, it’s a proving to be a huge success. Jeanette, the lead on this project has enhanced this and it’s become so much more . Working with activities coordinators relationships are built, milestone birthdays are identified as well as supporting residents with no family to provide nightwear, day clothes and toiletries.
This project has certainly brought together the community, with many supporters choosing to support this project above others as they have witnessed firsthand life in a care home when their loved ones are been living in one. This project highlights the joy of giving and the strong bond DWD has within the community.
Dementia Buddy and Guardian Angel project:
We joined forces with Dementia Buddy’s in 2017. A local charity who created devices to protect people living with dementia to get home safely when they are out or living alone. In 2017 we purchased 60 devices with donations received in memory of a loved one. We work closely with the charity to order devices when Jeanette, the lead on the project identifies a need. We have since purchased more with over 100 devices ordered to date. The devices can be a wrist band, key ring or bag tag, these devices are programmed to have the person’s name and name of kin in them .
Working closely with Dementia Buddies a strong relationship has grown within both charities, each having a mutual respect for each other and the work we do in the community.
Chocolate Amnesty Project
Mark Bellis, the son of Anne Bellis co-founding member of Dancing with Dementia, had a brilliant idea that would help Dancing with Dementia reach out to the senior member of the community and help to relieve the January Blues after the Christmas Festivities. Mark had experience of the success the chocolate amnesty in a former job role and suggested that Dancing with Dementia organised a chocolate and goodies amnesty to help the local care homes. Mark encouraged people in the community to donate any of the festive goodies that were left over. As usual our supporters rose to the occasion and we were inundated with bottles of wine, boxes of chocolate, biscuits and toiletries. We were able to make up hampers for several care homes which were gratefully received.
Baby Love Project
This project is continuing and creating a massive impact on the lives of those patients and residents, both in care homes and hospital wards. The number of crafters creating the clothes has grown as the demand for more dolls grows. These dolls have an uplifting effect on a person’s health and wellbeing.
Purple Angel Project
This project is gaining momentum as we work closely with care homes and sheltered accommodation venues. This has also been piloted within a care home for veterans and those who live with PDSD and it is found to be helping calm the anxiety associated with the condition.
Winter Warmers
Working together with Hug in a Mug Café in Walkden we delivered a Warm Place and Warming Food project to the local community, once a month over a six month period from October to March. We brought senior members of the community for conversation, games, music and dance with over 150 meals enjoyed. Good food, good company and an uplifting atmosphere. Thank you to the volunteers who supported this project.
Easter Treats
Working with another charity ACORN, there were 300 Easter Eggs delivered to 8 local care homes.
The Sunshine Room L6 Salford Royal Hospital
DWD are so proud to support the Sunshine Room on L6 at Salford Royal Hospital as the staff celebrated the first anniversary of the opening of the room. DWD have supplied clothes, toiletries, craft items and artists to entertain the patients on the ward. The project is enhanced by the continued support for Metal Lube, based in Irlam, who provided musical instruments for the Sunshine room.
Support to Care Homes
Metal Lube have continued to support Dancing with Dementia with garden games and musical instruments to entertain the residents over the summer months.
Although many care homes do bring their residents to our events there are many who cannot make the journey and so it has been decided that DWD would extend the programme of artists to include those homes with the artist attending the care homes. There have been many positive responses, not only the staff and residents of the homes but also from the families who loved ones are residents. A positive initiative that will be extended to include more homes over the next few months.
Part 6 Fund Raising events
This year we have been very well supported by various donations from within the community, we could not forgo the Fashion Show though. This event gives so much fun and joy as well as creating a funding stream.
DWD also hosted a tombola stall and a craft stall at The Boundary Stone Christmas Fair.
We were introduced to Swinton Lions Ruby Club by one of our volunteers and we held a meeting with one of their representatives, Damian. A very worthwhile meeting as we are now partners with them and hope to offer more events, such as, sporting memories of the rugby club with them showing off the memorabilia that the club has collected over the years. The club also have said that we can have a bucket collection, once per season and we attended the match on Sunday 4[th] May. We were welcomed warmly by the staff and supporters alike. A very pleasant and memorable day.
Part 8 Awards Accredited to DWD
On 14[th] November 2024 Dancing with Dementia had the extreme honour of being awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service. With great jubilation we shared our success with the local area and beyond and were overwhelmed by the number of positive responses from the community.
We were presented with the Crystal and Certificate at a ceremony at The Monastery in Manchester on Tuesday 29[th] April by The Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, Diane Hawkins. Two of the trustees were also invited to the Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday 20[th] May. Such a great honour and privilege to be part of such an occasion.
Quote from Mary-Lizz Walker
Dancing with Dementia’s holistic approach to everything they do demonstrates what excellence looks like: • Volunteers and former carers who are empowered to contribute their skills through meaningful projects • The ability to maintain focus on all the small, meaningful interventions that dramatically improve quality of life. Having built strong relationships with Salford City Council, NHS and Age UK, they are now the ‘go to’ organisation for dementia support. Huge congratulations to DWD for the incredible work they do - this award is so richly deserved.
Part 9 The CO-OP Community Fund
We were pleased to receive a sum of £4000 from the community funds. Thank you to all the people who supported Dancing with Dementia. This funding is ring fenced to off set costs of the Lunch Club at The Boundary Stone.
Part 10 Raising Awareness of Dementia
17[th] October saw Dancing with Dementia as part of an event hosted by the Lewy Body Society. We joined the guests at The Central Mission in the centre of Manchester at a “Knit a Scarf for Lewy”. Three quarters of a mile of scarves were displayed in the Hall. Most of these scarves were to be handed out to a local homeless charity, the remaining ones to be sold in Selfridges to raise funds for the charity. We were introduced to the Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, Diane Hawkins and the President of the Lewy Body Society, Christpher Biggins. We encouraged the audience to join in the dancing, and we created a feel-good atmosphere when many of the guests joined in the conga.
Dancing with Dementia dressed a dementia themed Christmas tree in one of the local churches. We will be extending this to have a tree in a second church in 2025.
Working with a local church, Lesley Fisher as Chairperson, gave a talk to the Mother’s Union Group about the support that DWD offers the local community.
Working with a local company, Home Instead, we have attended the Tea and Chat group in a local church and held information days with them at local community hub. Saturday 24[th] May we also attended an event at Agnes Hopkins promoting the groups that are available to support the local community, Although the events was not well attended, we did speak to several attendees who have since attended out Social Afternoon at The Grand Palais. So, it was really worth attending.
A member of the trustees attends the local Swinton Community Group that host regular meetings to promote the support that is available in the local area. We also had an information stall in the Swinton Civic Centre to promote the services that we can offer to the community.
Dancing with Dementia attends the Dementia Action Group and the Dementia Provider Forum to keep up to date on the changes in legislation and the different services that are now being offered. There are presentations by the local authority to give an overview of the changes that have been made to various benefits that may be claimed by our service users.
February 2025 Lesley Fisher, Chairperson, was invited to give a talk to the group at Elmwood Church on Eccles Old Road at their Dementia Café. We knew some of the faces there, but we did reach out to many more who now attend some of our events.
Dancing with Dementia attended the Salford Creative Health Networking team in February 2025 to explain the events that are available for senior members of the local community.
The World Walks Against Dementia
A new and inspirational event designed by Purple Angels and the World Rocks Against Dementia team. This is the first of its kind. A global synchronised walk to raise awareness of dementia and support for people living with dementia. Over 45 countries joined in this amazing fete. Dancing with Dementia teamed up with Swinton Health Improvement Team and the staff at RHS Bridgewater to create a magnificent event including walking through the magnificent gardens, wellbeing sessions and singing and dancing together with a local choir. 200 guests enjoyed a fantastic event. This was an event of collaborative working within the community. The teams from RHS, the teams from Swinton Health Improvement Team and the team at Dancing with Dementia working together to create a superb event that has far reaching outcomes.
Quote from Renee Salter, Swinton Health Improvement Team
Swinton Health Improvement Team had the honour and privilege of working alongside Dance with Dementia to deliver their vision of an event called ‘World walks against Dementia!’ We asked the mighty RHS Bridgewater to collaborate which they did with such enthusiasm and commitment to the vision and outcome that it made our jobs easy and so enjoyable! Coming together with shared purpose and mutual respect, we could unlock creativity, amplify strengths, and build solutions that no one organisation could achieve alone.
The impact on the clients and carers was tangible. And the wider impact being than that the staff and magnificent volunteers from across the teams felt a real sense of work satisfaction and sense of achievement.
It was almost not like working!! I’m already looking forwards too many, many more opportunities for partnership working in the future and to watch all partners shine like the stars they are!
So are Dancing with Dementia Renee!
Quote from DWD
We at Dancing with Dementia were so proud to work alongside the staff and volunteers at RHS Bridgewater. The collaboration of skills and expertise was evident in the way the event worked out so well. We had many positive comments about how calming the event was and yet uplifting at the same time. Bringing the local community together, different ages, different cultures differing abilities all merging together to enjoy glorious day. Creating such a memorable occasion in such beautiful surroundings was due to the partnership workings of the RHS, DWD and Swinton Health Improvement Team. Our thanks go out to all who contributed.
Part 11 Supporting research
When on the train coming back from the celebratory trip to London we met a gentleman called Toby who is researching the power of perfume in the lifting of the spirits with patients with dementia and other mental illnesses. He was looking for funding to expand this idea and we were able to link him with Salford Institute of Dementia who were looking for partnerships to develop this type of work. There is to be a documentary made – “A chance meeting on a train”. DWD are proud to be part of this research. DWD introduced Toby to Norman Mc Namara from Purple Angels, and they have forged a working partnership with Toby becoming an ambassador for the Purple Angels charity.
Part 12 Volunteers
Celebration for achieving the Kings Award for Voluntary Service.
To celebrate the award DWD hosted a celebration and invited along the people who had supported us form the start and those who became an integral part of the charity. Guests from Swinton Health improvement team, CVS and local councils and companies and community groups who work hand in hand with DWD to enrich the lives of those in the community who need our help.
At volunteer’s week we held at recognition event at Walkden Legion in thanks for the hard work that they contributed to the award of The Kings Award For Voluntary Service. A commemorative card was created by one of our talented volunteers and these were distributed
Part 13 Moving Forward
As the core workings of the charity continue to prosper and grow, so have the opportunities to work in partnership with others within the community. Forging partnerships with Swinton Lions, RHS, Home Instead and Forever Manchester as well as CVS and Swinton Health Improvement Team has opened greater opportunities. This has brought about the need for more volunteers to support the trustees with the workload or even paid staff to enhance certain roles within the charity. Funding has been applied for to help accommodate these developments.
Profit and Loss
Dancing with Dementia For the year ended 30 September 2025
| Profit and Loss Dancing with Dementia For the year ended 30 September 2025 |
|
|---|---|
| 2025 | |
| Turnover | |
| Donations | 29,708.11 |
| Gift Aid | 1,465.37 |
| Grants | 1,000.00 |
| Interest Income | 261.51 |
| Total Turnover | 32,434.99 |
| Gross Profit | 32,434.99 |
| Administrative Costs | |
| Artist | 10,490.00 |
| Audit & Accountancy fees | 155.00 |
| Charitable Donations | 2,639.62 |
| Coach Hire | 1,612.50 |
| Event Food & Refreshments | 4,180.54 |
| Events | 5,490.74 |
| General Expenses | 2,832.20 |
| Insurance | 239.68 |
| IT Software and Consumables | 285.60 |
| Legal Expenses | 20.00 |
| Printing & Stationery | 1,304.00 |
| Room Hire | 3,600.00 |
| Taxis/ Car Parking | 190.00 |
| Travel - National | 1,869.28 |
| Volunteer Expenses | 202.66 |
| Total Administrative Costs | 35,111.82 |
| Operating Profit | (2,676.83) |
| Profit on Ordinary Activities Before Taxation | (2,676.83) |
| Profit after Taxation | (2,676.83) |
Profit and Loss Dancing with Dementia
26 Jan 2026 Page 1 of 1
Independent Examiners report to the Trustees of Dancing with Dementia
I report to the Trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Dancing with Dementia for the year ended 30[th] September 2025.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Trust you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the act.
Having satisfied myself that the accounts are not required to be audited and are eligible for independent examination as the current threshold for audit has not been exceeded as set by Section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 as amended by the Charities Act 2011 (accounts and audit) Order 2015.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed the examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
Accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act
-
The account do not accord with those records
-
The accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of the accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirements that the accounts give a “true and fair view” which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Signed
Linda Chapman LCM Business Services 27.01.2026